


Torn and Tattered

by o1oo1



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-06-20 07:03:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 46,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15528798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o1oo1/pseuds/o1oo1
Summary: Exams are daunting.Magical exams which could kill you (they could don't laugh.) are more daunting. (I said DON'T laugh)A New Girl who you crush on immediately transferring adds extra pressure to your already overly stressed life.While all this happens... By extra pressure I mean having to learn in class and glance at your crush without them catching you and... While all this happens... You know the pressure when you try to follow your crush's timetable to 'bump into them,' and... Never mind. What was I talking about?Oh yeah.As Laura Hollis starts her Exam year at Hogwarts Dark Magic and mysterious disappearances are on the rise again despite the fact You-Know-Who was soundly defeated just over a decade ago. His old followers have learned from their old master and Grindelwald's mistakes and now sense this is the time to strike. They don't bring the powerful, hate filled all consuming storm as Voldemort did, all brute force and no subtly. No, subtly is their weapon and naive Laura better wise up fast lest she be used or controlled.





	1. o n e

“Can't you use some magic spell to move the traffic?” 

“No.”

“Bloody London.”

“It's only now and again daddy.”

“I know I know, I forget every time just how bad it is.”

He mumbled under his breath as another red light in a row stopped us.

I shook my head and turned my attention back to the important issue of fiddling with the hem of t-shirt. I was nervous. Always was on the first day of school. 

I knew it would be fine the second I got a glimpse of one of my friends but until then… Eugh.

We parked and my dad hauled my heavy wooden trunk out of the back of the car. He had mentioned to me when we first got the thing that it seemed impractical. 

“How can your lot be able to use literal magic, but can't figure out how to put wheels on a suitcase?!”

“I have wondered that.”

We took it and loaded it on the trolley to Platform Nine, I glanced around to see if I could see anyone I knew. No one.

We were early. My dad loved being early for everything. He was one was of those blokes who would get to the airport 5 hours before the plane took off.

I put my hand over his where it rested on the handlebar of the trolley. To steady his nerves for what was about to happen. 

We rushed through the portal in the wall between platform 9 and 10 and I heard him exhale with relief. I had once heard the famous Harry Potter had crashed into the wall one year, but I kept that to myself. 

We walked up the length of the train so my dad could stare at the front of the old red steam train. 

He whistled appreciatively as he did every time he saw it. 

“Maybe when you're a grown up magician you can make old steam beauties like this run on the regular rails.”

“Daaaad,” I rolled my eyes, “magician isn't the right word!” I scolded in a kind way.

“Sorry wizard,” he laughed as he ruffled my hair. I blew it out of my face indignantly and ran my hands through it to fix the damage he'd done.

“Witch,” I huffed.

“Sorry witch,” he said with mock reverence. 

We waited around, the people who were arriving or already there were nervous looking first years with confused, scared looking parents. Probably muggle born.

I could sympathise. My mother was a witch but passed away when I was very little so my dad was aware of magic so it wasn't a total surprise and he told me what he could with his limited knowledge. It was still a culture shock to arrive here for the first time, and go to Diagon Alley so I understood the confusion. 

I couldn't imagine what it must be like to enter this world blind and ignorant.

“Laura!”

I turned in a hurry to respond to a familiar voice and was almost knocked off my feet as a blur of red curly hair began hugging me tightly around the waist.

“Hi Perry,” I coughed and wheezed through the embrace.

“Hi,” she straightened up as we broke apart and regained the posture only a pure blood of a long lineage could. Her very stern looking parents followed behind.

They shook hands with my father and exchanged very forced pleasantries. My dad had always had a troubled time finding common ground for small talk with magical types. 

While they struggled for conversation Perry and I talked quickly back and forth about our respective holidays. I told her about my flight to Greece and all the history walks and she told me about her trip to some mystical place I didn't know of and couldn't pronounce.

I nodded along and said “uh-huh,” in what I hoped where the right places.

Not long after the whole place was buzzing. I saw Kirsch waved jovially as he bounded away with the other Gryffindors. Danny said hello briefly before too leaving.

When Lafontaine finally arrived it was almost boarding time. Their parents were both muggles. It was a weird dynamic watching them, my dad and Perry’s family trying to find common ground.

We said our farewells and got on the train finding a compartment for ourselves.

I was happy to let Lafontaine use our seniority as fifth years to stop some pesky and up jumped second years taking a compartment we wanted.

Who, in all fairness, had been using their seniority to move along some timid first years.

“Do you ever wonder…” LaF started slowly. “Right don't get me wrong here, but, you know, do you ever get jealous of… This is going to sound bad,” they trailed off.

“Go on,” I encouraged.

“Do you ever get jealous of what happened before? To Potter and his mates? On adventures? Triwizard cups? Fighting a dark lord? A massive battle?”

“No! Are you crazy?!” Perry spluttered. 

“I kind of get you,” I nodded slowly. 

“You too? You're both insane!”

“Not to actually do it. Just the excitement of it all!” They clarified.

“I see that. Apart from some ratty Slytherins our school life has been somewhat mundane,” I added.

“Precisely.”

“Merlin’s beard,” Perry held a hand to her forehead in frustration. “Look let's just get changed into our robes before the cart comes.”

I zoned out Perry and Lafontaine arguing over the nuances of what they had meant.

Darkness seemed to always be teasing setting in right as we arrived at Hogwarts. I'd heard some years past there had been storms but it was always picturesque and perfect when I'd alighted the train, the orange sun casting its last warm glow behind the shadow of the school.

“Come on L,” Lafontaine put a hand on my shoulder pulling me from my introspection. “Let's get the carriages.”

Perry and I waited inside the carriage as Lafontaine petted forward at the invisible animal which pulled us forward. Finally they jumped with delight as they made contact with the flesh of the creature which was there but hidden.

“I'm travelling with you guys,” Betty Spielsdorf mumbled getting into our carriage. She was my roommate. We didn't get on that well. Personality clash was a good description.

“Good summer?” I asked trying to be friendly. 

“Please shut up,” she murmured putting her head in her hands. “I'm so fucking hungover.”

“Aren't you too young to drink?” Perry asked.

“So?” She asked in a snippy tone. “Hey stop bothering the air and get in!” She called at LaF.

They complied and we set off. 

When we got to the castle Perry and I split off to join Hufflepuff while LaF split off to find their fellow Ravenclaws. 

The nerves I felt in the car heading to the train station were long gone. It always felt strange arriving at school. The morning waking up in my peaceful English village seemed like days ago now I was surrounded by floating candles and high stone walls.

There was a peculiar feeling of singularity entering the magnificent great hall.

For one split second one felt like they were truly alone taking in the sight.

Then the hustle and bustle of those around you forced me back into movement.

I walked over to the Hufflepuff table, the third table in between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.

Every year I got to sit a little further up. Which was great being… Not short. Just not tall either. Two more years, in my final N.E.W.Ts I would be right up front!

My heart panged with empathy for the nervous gaggle of first years loitering near the front.

Headmistress McGonagall gave her opening address and welcome and the sorting hat was brought forth.

I joined in at one of its verses;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil.

Before looking around me and going pink, my ears burning as I realized I was the only person who had started singing and people were smirking, bemused at me.

I sunk lower in my seat and waited for the sorting ceremony to begin. 

I clapped everyone and cheered when those were picked for my house and tried to give them what I hoped were encouraging and welcoming smiles and not creepy, unsettling ones. 

When all the first years were seated the hat wasn't removed. The chatter of unsure voices began in the hall.

The headmistress took to the podium once more.

“Today we have a rare case, a student transferring from one of our sister schools into our fifth year,” she explained in her thick Scottish accent. 

The buzzing of hushed whispers started up once more.

“Silence!” 

Everyone was.

“Come forward.”

I exhaled out hard.

She was pretty.

Pretty was an understatement. Even from a distance I had my breath stolen. I could hear the murmurs of the guys talking to each other. It bothered me for some reason.

She took her place on the stool. Not looking down but not looking at anyone either. I would be mortified to be in her position and she seemed unaffected.

Bored even.

The mouldy brown hat was placed on top of her curled, raven hair.

Everyone sat in silence for ages. Longer than I can remember anyone sitting there.

It had taken a couple moments for me. The hat spoke inside my head about being brave and maybe Gryffindor, being inquisitive and maybe Ravenclaw. Before it decided on Hufflepuff. 

This was far longer than that.

The whispering which had started and stopped several times in the last few moments begun once more.

Had the hat fallen asleep?

It did snooze a lot in the headmistress’ office. Perhaps it thought its duties were complete.

“Slytherin!” It finally bellowed. Several people actually jumped with shock as it had taken so long. 

The girl stood took it off and walked to her new house. 

For some reason my heart dropped. 

What had I been expecting really?

The off feeling soon vanished as the food appeared. 

Preposterous heapings of every kind of Sunday roast foods one could imagine or want for.

I didn't think about the mystery girl until much later on when I had left dinner, gone from the perpetually sunny and airy common room of Hufflepuff near the kitchens and was in my bedroom.

Betty was and would be socialising until much later. Her previous sickness forgotten apparently. 

Yet her face appeared as I closed my eyes.

I shook it off eventually. I was sleepy and full of dinner. 

The next day I scanned the great hall for the new girl but nothing. I munched away at my toast and read my schedule. 

Potions.

Not the best start. The dungeons were spooky. 

I joined up with Lafontaine. It was one of the few classes I actually had a close friend in, so I looked forward to it. Especially as it was the first class back.

“Professor Slughorn looks tired,” they said in a low voice as we sat in the middle of the classroom. 

“He's like 150,” I shrugged. 

“I'm tired for a reason,” he addressed us. I guess age isn't a factor on hearing. “Here,” he gestured at a small cauldron he had dramatically hidden under a red velvet sheet. 

We all leaned in to get a better view.

“This is felix felicis.”

Gasps.

“Anyone know of it?”

“Liquid luck,” LaF answered.

“Correct, correct,” the fat professor beamed. “5 points to Ravenclaw. Now I'm tired as this takes a long time to brew. A long time indeed.” 

“How long?” Someone asked.

“6 months,” LaF answered again.

“Take 5 more points. Yes and I've been distilling it overnight,” Slughorn pulled a vial out of his sleeve. “As its luck this class has the luck of being the first class of the year so the first class to have the luck to win liquid luck.”

I would like that.

Everyone would.

“One vial has 2 servings, work in pairs and share the spoils as winners. You need to brew a draught of the living death,” he said.

I did what I was told. Letting my partner take the lead. If we were competing for luck it was lucky I had the best partner in the class.

There were pops and explosions and muttered curses from the others as LaF worked diligently. 

By the end of the class Slughorn inspected all the attempts and looked into ours. Declared us the winner and awarded us the vial and 20 points to each of our respective houses.

I felt a bit guilty. I really hadn't contributed enough to deserve either the potion or the points. I let Laf take care of the vial. It was only right. 

I went of care of magical creatures. Not growing up in the magical world I was always fascinated by all the wild, strange animals we got to see and Professor Hagrid was literally the nicest human, or whatever he was, I’d ever met.

Afterwards I trudged off to defence against the dark arts. With the youngest professor in the history of the school; Neville Longbottom. He was somewhat of a legend. Having fought on the front lines at the battle of Hogwarts.

A lot of the girls had a crush on him. 

“Not the first in class for once Miss Hollis,” Professor Longbottom grinned at me. I glanced around and saw that curly raven hair cascading over the back of her black robe was sitting in the back corner. 

“Hi professor,” I waved, my voice came out a little too high, not smooth. “Did you have a good holiday?”

“I did, I did, thank you,” he replied turning his back and scratching something onto the board with a piece of chalk which floated a foot in front of him.

I loitered in the aisles. I hated not having someone to sit next to.

“Sit next to the new girl,” the professor called over his shoulder. “Be welcoming.”

I shuffled down the bench and sat next to her. This was new. I never sat at the back. 

“Hi, I'm Laura,” I introduced myself being friendly.

She didn't look at me just made a half humming, half grumbling noise of acknowledgment.

Ok.

The class filed in and we begun our lecture. 

We were taught a lot of practical things by him. I enjoyed his classes. I think being a front line fighter gave him the desire to teach us for the worst case scenarios.

“Protego,” he announced, the chalk independently writing the word up on the board.

I scribbled it down in ink and mouthed the words. 

“Follow me into the other room and we’ll practice, might as well do something fun on our first day back.”

Everyone got up and followed eagerly. 

Plus if it was a shield spell it would mean we wouldn't have to suffer each other's practice hexes and curses.

Those lessons could hurt.

We formed a semicircle around the professor in the long hall attached to the defence against the dark arts classroom.

“Ok, who wants to try to jinx me?” He offered.

A fat, ugly, mean Slytherin; David Goyle barged to the front, licking his stupid lips at the prospect of attacking the teacher.

I rolled my eyes, what an idiot. 

They stood opposite, at duelling length and without waiting a second Goyle sent reddish green sparks at the professor who flicked his wand up.

“Protego,” he said in a clear, pronounced teaching voice.

A clear half-bubble, like a contact lense, appeared and sent the sparks fizzling out pathetically.

He repeated the process a couple times before letting us pair off. It was satisfying to watch the nasty Slytherin becoming increasingly crestfallen as his attacks failed more and more miserably. 

The broody, silent new girl just sat down at the side and starting checking her nails. Looking uninterested.

I partnered off with another Hufflepuff rather than risk getting hit with some boiling skin curse from Slytherin trying their hardest to be cruel and inflict more pain than was necessary.

My legs wobbled a bit from the jelly leg curse I had thrown my way.

Able to block it a bit, lessening not stopping it.

Finally as my knees began aching from the shaking I totally stopped three attacks in a row. Good for me!

“Excuse me miss,” professor Longbottom called to the new girl. “I know it's your first day but could you participate a bit? I need to see you can perform the spell.”

She stood up, letting resentment pour through her motions. 

A greasy, cocky Slytherin pushed his way forward. 

“I'll practice with her,” he offered with a leer. 

“Very good Theo, step up and you demonstrate the defensive spell first.”

They stood opposite and she took a long black wand from her sleeve, I'd never seen a wand which looked like it.

11 inches perhaps, completely jet black with no defining features on the wood. It looked like it was chiseled from marble.

“Come on sweetheart give me your best shot,” he said smiling wide at her. 

Was he trying to be charming?

Yuck.

“Incarcerous!” The new girl barely even spoke and ropes flew from her wand, Theo’s defensive spell was shattered like shards of misty glass.

“Expulso!” She followed up and sent the tied up boy flying hard into the wall way back at the end of the hall.

The whole class gasped.

He screamed as the ropes tightened. The new girl waved her wand with one hand releasing him while checking the nails on the other. He was unconscious, he had hit the wall then the floor really hard.

“Woah, woah,” the professor rushed over to him. “I need to take him to the hospital wing…”

He picked Theo up slung his arm over his shoulder and walked to the door assisting him out.

“I guess class is over?” The girl asked. No one replied still shocked. “Good.” She walked out of the stunned calm she had created, while checking the nails on her other hand scowling. 

I walked to lunch, which was more informal. LaF was able to join Perry and I. Even Danny came over to sit on the Hufflepuff table.

As it was in between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor table it was a good meeting place. Neutral ground.

After catching up a bit, I hadn't really spoken to Danny since we got back to school. A couple letters had been exchanged over the summer, but that was it.

“So is it true that weird new girl almost killed someone in your class?” The tall redhead asked.

“Wow, gossip spreads quickly,” I whistled. “Yeah, Theo, he was trying to be big shot and she broke his protective spell then knocked him out.”

“He is a prick,” Danny said.

“Doesn't mean he should be hospitalised,” Perry added.

“Suck the fun out of it why don't you?”

“It was advanced magic,” I told them, “powerful.”

“L and I won some liquid luck and this mystery girl steals our thunder!” LaF complained, though not unkindly.

“Take it and win a duel against an auror if you want the thunder back,” Danny laughed.

I was bothered all afternoon for gossip. Some people were saying it was an attempted murder by breakfast the next day. 

I didn't mind being the centre of attention. I would imagine, it hadn’t happened before.

I would prefer if it were for an achievement I'd made rather than just a spectator to something.

I didn't see the girl whose name I still didn't know until Muggle studies, she was the only Slytherin in the class. Maybe ever. She was first too. A punctual potential sociopath. 

I hovered in the doorway for a moment before deciding to sit next to her.

“Hi,” I tried to be friendly. 

A grumbled response again.

“I'm Laura.”

“You told me that before,” she finally spoke. 

“Oooook, just being friendly,” I snipped. 

“By being repetitive.”

“I guess.”

“Well good job darling, let's hang out and braid each other's hair.”

“I don't think I'd suit br… Oh. Ok.”

I realised a bit too late. I didn't feel like giving up for some reason.

If most people had been that rude to me I wouldn't bother with them. Something was different here.

“What's your name?” I asked. 

“Carmilla.”

“Hi, I'm Laura,” I said in a sing song voice, trying to be light. “In case you forgot.”

She still hasn't turned to look at me but I think I saw the hint of a smile flashing over her lips. 

More people were filtering in. So we couldn't really talk. But hey first contact! Or second contact. First breakthrough.

This was easily my smallest class. People dropped muggle studies and the history of magic at the first possible chance. 

“What class do you have next?” I asked Carmilla as we left the class. 

“Divinations.”

“Me too!” 

The fact she was in three of my classes where I didn't know anyone else, that well could work out if I was able to break through her defences.

She didn't make any effort to walk at my pace, I had catch up with her and move at her speed.

Had she studied a map of the school?

I did not know my way around for at least a month. Actually if I didn't pay attention I could still find myself lost even now.

She was an enigma.

The transfer. The sorting ceremony. The silence. The borderline assault. The class choices. The cigarette… The cigarette?

I had to pause as the new girl floated a single cigarette from her pocket and lit it with her finger tips. Allowing the smoke to billow backwards.

“Y…” Ou’re not allowed to do that was the rest of the sentence I stopped from coming out not wanting to be sad. God I envied that confidence. I made a few throat clearing noises pretending I didn’t try to speak in the first place.

Climbing the ladder to the divinations class I waved at professor Trelawney who didn't seem to see me through her ludicrous glasses. 

First again!

Probably not the coolest thing to be excited about.

I sank into one of the bean bag chairs. It was comfy. I squelched around in, before remembering I wasn't alone.

For a second I thought the new girl was actually going to stalk off and sit alone but I was relieved when she slid down next to me. Frowning at the seat.

It was kind of a funny sight. 

Seeing someone so serious having to recline into a beanbag. 

Trelawney didn't even acknowledge the new student. I guessed she was just oblivious.

Reading tea leaves was the exercise of the day.

Sharing a pot of tea we took it turns to stare into our cups. Without asking she took my divinations textbook up and thumbed through. 

“Help yourself.”

“Already have.”

I huffed and I think I saw the flicker of a smile playing over her mouth before she quickly recomposed herself. 

“I don't know what this is…” I said peering at the scattered collection of residue I was supposed to be discerning the future from. 

“Tea leaves.”

“Obviously.”

“Ask a stupid question,” she murmured. 

“It looks like a circle with a line through it,” I said to no one in particular as I went through my book.

When the professor came over she took my cup and spluttered and cried dramatically. I jumped back. She did basically scream in my face.

“An omen! A dark omen of dark things to come! The moon shrouded in clouds!”

“Ok,” I said slowly not really sure what do. Trelawney was notoriously in love with doom and gloom.

“You may not be long for this world my dear.”

I left the class annoyed. 

“You coming to lunch?” I asked Carmilla. Extending a further olive branch. 

“No.”

“No?”

“No, besides I'm not sure I want to hang around someone who is doomed.”

She walked off in a different direction to me.

“See you later?” I called after her. She waved once with her back turned still walking away. 

That could have gone worse. 

I don't know why but I didn't tell my friends I spoken to the new girl. The one who was already famous for attacking a housemate. I don't know why I kept it to myself. Just like I didn't know why I wanted to talk to her so badly.

By the end of the first week back I spoke with and sat with Carmilla in our mutual classes. She didn't ever call me by my name, it was a string of food based nicknames. 

Defence against the dark arts was the final class before the weekend.

She was there, at the back, alone, as I arrived and sat down next to her. She seemed to teleport. Always first and then unless we were walking together to the next lesson she disappeared.

It looked like everyone was going to just pretend the violent incident on Monday hadn't happened.

It was a much more sedated class. I could feel people glancing at the person next to me and the row we sat on no one else sat on.

We took notes of protective spells and got our first homework assignment.

“Now practice the protego spell as often as you can until you perfect it. Not only a useful spell, but will function as a major part of your O.W.Ls exam.”

I shuddered a bit. The first hint at the major exams I would have to sit at the end of the year was already scaring me a bit. 

Carmilla disappeared once more at the end of class with a chaste “goodbye cupcake.”

I slipped back towards the kitchens where my common room, stopping at the actual kitchen first. I had learned early in my first year that if I was nice to the house elves they would give me a massive plate of cookies.

They called me Miss Laura and were overjoyed to see me. Overly happy to oblige. 

I felt bad not giving them anything in return but I found out the hard way that was an insult. The icy stares I received on mass still haunted me a little when I offered some cash in return for food.

The next morning I hid the cookies in my robe, crumbs be damned, and I went off to the library. Eating was forbidden in there, and normally I was a stickler for the rules. I did like to eat while studying though.

I made a list for studying.

Practice protego  
Memorise transfiguration spells from last year  
Learn a new curse/hex/jinx every fortnight  
…  
Try calisthenics (lol yeah right)

I would think of a sixth later, I decided after chewing the tip of my quill until I had feathers in my mouth which I had to pick out with my fingertips. A sixth… Seventh, eighth, ninth and ten. Later. 

I got shushed by the librarian when I spluttered.

Well that is embarrassing.

So I had eaten my pen and made an obvious list and not done anything worthwhile.

I pulled out my transfiguration book. Definitely the hardest subject. No wonder it had been taught by the current Headmistress and the school’s most famous recent headmaster.

I started to list out the spells phonetically and trying to draw the motions I would need to make with my wand while covertly sneaking cookies from my pocket.

After about half an hour I felt something pull from inside the lining of my robe.

One of my cookies was pulling itself free?

I watched in disbelief as it floated from me up in the air and away. I just sat and saw it disappear around behind a bookshelf. I stood up and followed the trail of fallen crumbs.

I didn't know what I was expecting.

I know I didn't expect to see Carmilla sitting with her wand resting on top of a litany of books and scrolls happily munching away at my snacks.

Before I could reprimand her she picked her wand up once more.

“Accio cookie,” she said staring directly at me with a brazen smirk. We just stood, in a deserted corner of the library, looking at one another as another of my treats floated away into her possession. 

I was almost tempted to just walk away but instead I sat down opposite her.

“Excuse me?” She scowled.

“What?” I asked confused.

“I don't remember inviting you to join me.”

The bloody nerve! I had to stop myself from raising my voice indignantly, I didn't want to lose house points nor get a temporary ban from the library.

“I don't remember inviting you to share my cookies,” I whispered.

“You didn't,” she said as if I was an idiot, rolling her eyes. 

Awkward silence stretched out as she returned to reading something while chewing away. After not getting any further response I sighed and got up and returned anti-climatically to my place. 

The second I sat down yet another, third, cookie flew from my robe. 

Was this flirting or robbery?

It could be both.

I went back to Transfiguration and when I went to my pocket I found it empty…

There's no point studying anymore. Besides, it was only the first weekend of term, half an hour of lacklustre study was more than most would do. 

I found my friends later for dinner.

“You see this?” Danny asked, pulling the Daily Prophet from her satchel.

We all craned our necks to get the right angle to read it. 

Disappearance of magical couple in Cornwall.

We all sat in silence waiting for the last person to finish reading. Which was me.

“It's sad and all but people disappear now and again,” LaF said.

“Not in the wizarding community,” Danny said a little patronisingly. It wasn't mean spirited like a certain green and silver coloured house had a tendency for. Just a natural outcome of being a pure blood. 

“So? What's your take? Should we panic and start running around screaming?”

“Obviously not LaF,” Danny sighed. “It's just interesting, and worrying.”

“I got a dark, evil, spooky, erm,” I paused racking my brain for another ominous word, “thing,” I settled on. “Omen in my tea leaves.”

“Tea leaves?” Perry asked. “Oh, I forgot you were doing that stupid class.”

I got laughed at by the group.

“It's not stupid.”

“Yeah it is.”

Well I guess I was dismissed on that. 

I didn’t actually think it is necessarily the truest and most developed form of magic but it wasn’t stupid. It was fun! 

I zoned out as they debated whether there was any significance to the article. I didn’t really think the tea omen thing was real but I didn’t care about gossip either. 

I liked the idea of journalism. I read the Quibbler not the Prophet though. If one liked journalism, any idle speculation was the enemy of the journalistic integrity! That’s pretty pretentious. I just didn’t have time for it. 

I found myself looking over at the Slytherin table over and over. Trying to see if the cookie thief had shown up while attempting to look like I was just scanning the hall.

I had never seen her outside of class and now the library. Though, it had been only a week. 

“L, L, L,” Laf repeated snapping their fingers in front of my face. 

“No?!” I shouted a little, being louder than appropriate. I felt the warmth of embarrassment burning the tips of my ears. 

The laughter from everyone did not help. 

“Millions miles away?”

“Yeah,” I conceded. 

“I was saying I have this for you,” they held a small potion bottle out.

“Erm, thanks,” I said taking it and looking at the contents puzzled. 

“It’s your half of the liquid luck.”

“Oh cool!” I held the vial with more reverence. 

“I distilled it. With one of my contraptions.”

“Are you still trying to infuse magic and muggle crap?” Danny asked with a bit of a sneer. 

“Yup.”

Back in the common room then my dormitory I hid the precious rare potion in the bottom of my trunk, with my few items of jewelery and a picture of my mum and dad holding me when I was baby. 

That was for a rainy day. 

I didn’t know what sort of day. Or the effects. I just knew it was treasured prize to be respected. 

Sunday passed without incident. I did get a little bored. I didn’t know why electronics didn’t work inside the school. Candles seemed impractical. I missed television too. A lot. It made the hours pass a little quicker. 

I tried transfiguring my Doctor Who mug into a canary, a yellow canary, to match my pillow. 

It ended up as a mug with bird legs and wings but no face or body when I gave up. 

I went to the practice room to do my homework for Defence against the Dark Arts, I needed to get the protection spell correct. I just needed to find some younger kids hanging around there to attack me. That sounded wrong.

Study studiously in studious manner. 

That’s a better way to think of it.

“Hey cookie girl,” Carmilla hopped off a deep window ledge. I nearly had a heart attack. 

“Ah!”

“Right, I need someone to practice that spell with. You’ll do.”

“I… erm…”

“Aren’t you heading to the practice room?” She asked, arms folded over her chest. I had to shake my head to rattle out the shock. Only for it to be replaced with a second shock as I saw what her civilian clothes looked like. 

Black leather trousers seemed impractical… Also a lacey black top. 

“Yes.”

“Well,” she opened her eyes wide to exaggerate frustration, “let’s go.” 

“Were you waiting for me?”

“No. It’s coincidence.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“You muggle borns find out about magic a couple years ago and now you don’t believe in coincidence?”

“I’m half.”

“Oh really? I just presumed because… You know.”

“No, know what?”

“Nevermind.” 

“No what?”

“You know the whole naive, overly enthusiastic shtick you have going on.”

“I’m not naive!” I said in the most naive voice one could possibly use. She just laughed and walked on a little too fast for me to match comfortably. 

The room had only a handful of second years messing around in, and they fled when they saw older students entering. I probably would have been that shy at their age. 

Though if I hadn’t bumped into Carmilla I would have to shoot spells in front of myself and hope I could run past them, overtake them and then cast a protection spell to reflect it. 

“Look,” I said remembering the incident on our first shared class. “I don’t want to end up in the hospital wing. So be restrained.”

“You’re too cute to damage,” she said casually walking into a duelling distance. “Ready?”

“I guess. As ready as I’ll ever be… Wait who’s going first?”

“Wait, wait, wait, that’s your wand?” She smirked at me.

“Yeah,” I replied a little defensively. Looking down quickly and self-consciously at my light brown ash wand. I always thought it was perfect.

Unicorn hair core and 5 1/2 inches. True it may have been short, and some had mocked that I'm a short person with a miniature wand. But it was mine and besides I'd look silly with some 14 inch gnarled looking one.

She just laughed before sending a leg lock curse my way. 

In all honesty it was better to train with someone much stronger than you. My legs hurt. I never got my legs locked completely. They just tightened up and throbbed right up until the blue coloured curse smashed to pieces over my shield. 

“I did it!” I exclaimed.

“Well done you’re not a total spas.”

“Whatever you say I’m still proud of myself!” I beamed at her. “Right your turn.”

“I’m fine.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t need to practice.”

“Really?”

“Did you see what I did to that idiot?”

“Yes.”

“So I don’t need to practice.”

“Aw!”

“What are you awwwing about?”

“You came to help me practice just being nice.”

“Locomotor mortis,” she cried shooting one more attack at me.

“Protego.”

The curse shattered over the shell defensive I created. 

“Good job!”

“What the hell!” I yelled. 

“Just making sure.”

“Being nice.”

“Don’t make me use an unforgivable curse.”

“You’re being nice,” I basically sang. 

“I’m paying you back for the cookies. Nothing more,” her tone was cold and her cadence was calculated.

She just left. Left me right there without another word. 

Hot and cold. 

I still couldn’t place why I wouldn’t her to… Well I didn’t want her to do anything. I just want to make some bond of friendship. Yet I didn’t know why. 

I felt rather dejected as I walked slowly back to my room. 

I saw Betty and her friend Natalie talking to a couple of Gryffindor boys on the way and I was completely blanked by them. 

Another nice knock to the old self esteem.

I was woken up from my sleep by shaking. I mewled like an angry cat. It was Betty rocking me back and forth like I was ship in a tumultuous sea. I sighed and grumbled angrily. I didn’t care if she had snuck some vodka in and had drank with and then made out with some Quidditch player from Gryffindor.

It definitely wasn’t worth waking me over. 

“What?” I rasped, desperate to go back to sleep. I had potions in the morning!

“Get up,” she pulled my arm. 

“Why?” 

“Get up!”

I allowed her to pull my arm as I put my feet onto the wooden floor and in my pajamas I shuffled out with her, following her lead into the common room. There were a lot of sleepy looking people grouped together, in their night clothes.

Ok so perhaps it wasn’t just Betty wanting to gossip and brag. 

The prefects began trying to get everyone to return to their respective rooms. No one listened though. 

One girl was clearly the centre of this disturbance. 

Maxime Smith, she was a shy girl in the fourth year, was weeping quietly. 

“What’s happening?” Someone asked, faceless from the crowd. 

“Nothing go to bed,” a prefect ordered. 

“My dad,” Maxime weeped. “He’s dead,” she howled, her voice cracking.

“Come on Maxie, come on, not in public,” a friend of her’s whispered but in the dead silence of the common room. The crying girl let herself be pulled up by the arm and lead away presumably by her roommate. 

“Bloody hell,” I exhaled, rattled a little. 

I retreated back from the common room to my room. Betty clearly stayed to see if there was anything more she could garner... I would imagine. 

Zacharias Smith was her father… I knew of him as there was a scandal a few years ago where he had pretended he had participated in the Battle of Hogwarts until one of the famous Weasley’s came forward and inform people he had fled with the kids and the Slytherin’s. 

He was considered an embarrassment of Hufflepuff. The whole loyal and honest part of being in the house betrayed. 

Still he didn’t deserve to die. 

I barely slept and missed breakfast and had to rush off to the dungeons to get to potions. I caught up with Lafontaine who was already reading diligently. 

“Thank you for joining us Ms Hollis,” Professor Slughorn called with a small smile from the front of the classroom. 

“Sorry.”

“It’s ok. I hear there was some upsetting news in the Hufflepuff brood last night, it’s completely understandable,” he gave me a warm, reassuring smile. 

I nodded in recognition as he turned back to his main, teaching cauldron.

He was a nice man. Slytherins weren’t always terrible. I think him and one more moody brunette were the only examples I could think of but still, better than none.

Working alone I tried my hardest not to copy off what Laf was doing, though they worked so much faster than I could, copying was hard. 

I was distracted. 

I had actually agreed with Lafontaine when she told Danny one disappearance was nothing to panic over. Yet two incidents of three people in a short space of time was worrying. 

Danny was also right magical individuals disappearing was more of an occurrence than a muggle disappearance. Wizards and witches could defend themselves. They would never freeze or burn to death. Never drown. Never get hungry. Never get thirsty. There were spells to get out of all of that. Even old age was near 200 years old. 

Trelawney predicted doom and gloom…

That’s stupid though. If there was something nefarious going on I doubted I would have anything to do with it. I was no one of any importance. Just an average girl, slightly above average student. I wouldn’t be involved if things started going wrong. 

Not that they would. Right?


	2. t w o

The school was mixed. Split. Some people were convinced that some terrible thing was happening in the shadows of society. Others put it down to a coincidence, a horrid one, but a rare coincidence.

I was mixed.

Moving between both camps depending on my mood. It was suspicious. Very much so. Yet on the other hand there just weren't enough details to be sure dark powers were at work.

If I wanted to be a journalist I would have to not bow into petty gossiping. I didn't want to write for a tabloid after all.

Not that there was much of a choice of Wizarding publications to choose from.

I left potions and went to care of magical creatures then defence against the darks arts and saw Carmilla there first yet again. I sat down next to her and gave her an overly enthusiastic wave and hello.

She shook her head and went back to scribbling something down on her scroll.

Theo was returning to class today. After being dispatched from the hospital wing.

No one got in trouble for what happened.

At least I didn't think so, I didn't want to ask her. I had presumed she was let off as she had technically been instructed to attack and attack she did.

The wounded Slytherin shot her a nasty look as he walked into the classroom with a gaggle of his friends.

Having not really spoken to her much I hadn't had the chance to ask whether or not her fellow housemates hated her. Slytherin was a tight knit lot. They rarely made friends across house lines.

So for her to severely hurt a popular member of the house on her first day must have created some awkwardness.

Now probably wasn't the time to press her. 

The class wasn’t practical once again. I hoped the incident didn’t stop us doing practical stuff. It made me nervous, but that was a good thing surely?

I needed to challenge myself and face the fear that was kind of the whole point of defence against the dark arts. Learning to defend against something scary. 

I doubted it would stop Professor Longbottom. If it were any other teacher then maybe it would affect them, shake them a little. I just didn’t think he would. 

He had fought and new, first hand, the necessity of it. 

“Professor?!” Someone called out as we were reading in pairs from our textbook about protection spells. 

“Yes?” He looked up from his desk.

“What’s going on… You know with these… Er… Things?”

“Things?” He frowned, “oh, the disappearances you mean?”

“Yeah.”

There were shared mumbles of agreement from the class. Everyone was curious. 

“I don’t know I shouldn't really speak about it.”

“Come on Professor, you’re the only teacher who would tell us!”

“You really think that’d work,” he smirked. “Fine. You know when I was at school Voldemort was on the rise again.”

A few hissed breaths were taken by some members of the class. I never really got that. The name did chill me a bit, there was just something unnatural about it. Not to mention the history and crime and horror associated with it. 

I did use the name though if it ever was needed. 

Some of the kids from the older families hated using it. Especially Slytherins. Who still had a sliver of regret and shame about their allegiances during that period. Some members of that house were a lot less shameful about it than others. 

“Well back then,” the professor continued, “we were constantly kept in the dark. It was never nice. We formed our own secret club,” he smiled to himself stroking his chin as he reflected on his past.

“Professor?” Someone else piped up trying to stop him from his recollection. 

“Oh sorry,” he shook his head. “It always annoyed me being kept in the dark. It annoys us all… However having said that. I really don’t know much. It’s suspicious sure…”

“If you find something out will you tell us sir?”

“Yes. Unless I’m specifically instructed not to, I promise I will.”

That was probably the best we’d get from any teacher. I believed him. It was vital students like him, when he was my age and a little bit older were involved closely in fighting evil last time it reared its head.

I was jumping to conclusions. I almost laughed to myself. Thinking some dark force had come back and was murdering wizards was just plain silly. Walking to Divinations with Carmilla in silence I scrambled for some conversation to broach with her. 

“What?”

“What?!” I asked panicked. 

“You’re clearly debating something. You’re thinking loudly; it’s annoying.”

“My loud thinking is annoying?”

“It is. So go ahead.”

“Ok.”

I took a moment to think which topic to start with. 

“Have you talked to Theo?” I finally settled on.

“Who?”

Wow, unbelievable. 

“The guy you hospitalised on your first day?”

“Oh him. No.”

I could have guessed that answer to be fair when she said she didn’t know who the guy’s name was. 

“Has anyone in Slytherin talked to about it?”

“I haven’t spoken much to anyone in my house.”

“Why not?”

“If they’re half as annoying as you that would be a major problem.”

“Hey. What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well you’re irritating but I can escape you going to into my common room. If someone in my house annoyed me I would have nowhere to go.”

“That’s nice.”

“It wasn’t meant to be… I’m just being honest.”

“I think you’re nice, deep down,” I said in a sing song voice nudging her in the ribs. 

“Eugh.”

“You can be all grumbly and mumbly and tough on the outside but I think there is a sweet person deep down,” I told her. 

What the hell am I doing? I was nervous to ask a couple of questions minutes ago and now I was doing this. 

“Think what you like,” she dismissed me.

“What did the sorting hat say to you?” I blurted out.

There was a pause and I glanced over at her and she had furrowed her brow at the question. 

“Isn't that personal?” She finally responded. She didn't sound annoyed. That was good.

“I would tell you what it said to me.”

“Something about a head full of candy and rainbows?”

“Not quite…”

“But close.”

“For the sake of argument sure, it told me my head was full of candy and sunshine,” I said with a sigh.

“Rainbows.”

“Huh?”

“I said rainbows not sunshine.”

“Well whatever,” it was my turn to roll my eyes. “So what did it say to you?”

“Maybe I'll tell you another time.”

“You're hard to figure out,” I said after a pause.

“In comparison to you.”

I huffed again I moved aside to let her climb the ladder up to divinations first.

When the class was seated around Professor Trelawney she woke from her peculiar stupor, which I suspected was affected. 

It added to the mysticism to be all spacey. 

We were still reading tea leaves, it was one of the few classes, along with care of magical creatures which nearly always was practical. 

Just not the fun practice like transfiguration and defence against the dark arts.

I couldn't even be bothered to complain when Carmilla went into my bag and withdrew my textbook and lazily looked through it.

Divinations was really the class of the popular girls. Betty loved it. They all sat up at the back and giggled and exchange stories. 

I really had only taken it to take a broad variety of subjects. I thought that would be conducive to following a journalistic career.

Looking back I think history would have been more useful I just couldn't face 2 more years of the ghostly professor Bins droning on and on about goblins.

My tea leaves apparently said that I was going to die a horrible death.

Which was just terrific.

Carmilla laughed at me.

She clearly was very bemused as she told Trelawney that her leaves indicated she was going to be beaten, burnt and maimed.

The loopy teacher lapped it up what I was under the impression was sarcasm but she was immune to it.

It seemed strange she was so in love with the prospect of her students getting hurt, and in my case dying.

Though it did make my original leaves saying I was destined for doom seem a lot less realistic.

Carmilla disappeared for lunch. I had no idea where to. Possibly hiding in deep window ledges.

“Laur,” Danny slapped my forearm at the lunch table.

“What?” 

“What are you always daydreaming about nowadays?”

Carmilla I said in my head.

“Nothing,” I said out loud.

“Are you going to come to the Quidditch this weekend?”

“There's Quidditch?” I replied stupidly. 

“We’re playing your house…” 

“Come on Laura, I'm not a sports fan either but come on,” Perry said.

“Hey! No need to turn on me, I just forgot,” I lied. I had literally no clue.

“Well you can come and root for us,” Danny said with a friendly push to Perry. 

“Why would we root for you?”

“You know Kirsch and me, you don't know anyone on your team…”

At the mention of name Kirsch bounded over happily from the Gryffindor table.

“Talking Quidditch ladies?” He asked as he sat down with us.

“You know we were.”

“We're going to kick you guy’s arse,” he announced loudly while sitting at the Hufflepuff table.

“Ok,” I replied. I didn't care.

“Aren't you the keeper?” LaF asked.

“Sure am, best in the school!” He said proudly. 

“So whether you win really isn't up to you?” LaF pressed.

I laughed. They were great, knocking the cheery smile from his face off with logic.

“That's true, it'll be up to us chasers,” Danny announced in turn punching Kirsch in the arm playfully.

I slipped away from the table as they continued debating something I did not care about.

My practice of transfiguration had helped. In class I wasn't able to fully change a cup into a bird but I got closer than anyone else and was rewarded with 10 house points.

That gave me a little spring in my step as I ended the day.

Maxine Smith was in a barely populated common room when I got back. She wasn't crying but her eyes were red and blotchy though.

I really debated talking to her, we weren't friends or anything but… 

“Hey are you ok?” I asked. Immediately kicking myself. What a stupid question.

She was in jeans and a loose fitting t shirt. Clearly she had been excused from classes.

“I'm going home today,” she replied flatly looking straight ahead instead of me.

“Ok…” I really had nowhere to go. “Well I'm sorry about… Everything.”

She just continued to stare ahead.

I went up to my room and hid in there for a while. 

I skipped dinner, planning on grabbing some sandwiches from the house elves later. It was one of the best things of being in Hufflepuff; the proximity to the kitchens.

It was however depressing in Hufflepuff at the moment.

Having a devastated, weeping girl sitting in the warm, constantly sunny common room was a strange and upsetting contrast.

Betty burst in much later on.

“Did you hear that Maxine is going home for a couple weeks?” She asked. Speaking quickly and excitedly. 

“Yeah…”

“You know you're no fun,” she waved me off, picking up one of my sandwiches I'd fetched and stalked off to the common room. 

“Help yourself!” I called after her.

I think heard her call me a bitch. My relationship with her had been on a slow decline since our first year.

I really should make some effort to repair the relationship but the mere thought of it made me tired.

I packed my bag with cookies, which I had got with my sandwiches and books for the next day and tried to sleep before Betty returned and the awkwardness returned with her. 

By breakfast the rumour mill of the school and descended into wild speculation about the disappearances with Maxine Smith returning home inflaming the discussion once more.

In Muggle Studies Carmilla was already there, because of course she was.

One reason I liked her, or at least was trying to was she was clearly so unaffected and disinterested in gossiping. 

“Are you going to the Quidditch on saturday?” I asked.

“I'll let you guess.”

“Yes?” I asked knowing it was no, making my voice go high pitched as I asked.

She snorted a restrained laugh shaking her head.

“I wouldn't have suspected you like idiots chasing balls on brooms,” she said after a pause.

“No I'm probably going to get dragged along by my friends…”

“This is why I don't have any.”

“I guess I won't invite you then,” I said shortly. 

“Good plan.”

I was a bit annoyed, I was trying and she really wasn't even making the slightest effort to reciprocate. I scratched away, making notes and left the class crestfallen.

I stamped off quickly only to feel my satchel tug. I stopped and looked down to see one of my cookies pulling itself free and fly off.

Carmilla was standing down the corridor, wand in one hand and her other hand outstretched waiting for the baked treat. 

I scowled at her but she just shrugged as she snatched it from the air and took a bite and turned to walk away.

I really couldn't figure her out.

After shutting me down in muggle studies we had a few, scattered conversations.

Not even conversations. Just small talk in our other shared classes of the week. 

Sometimes it was polite, sometimes teasing and sometimes rude and curt. More the latter.

I really couldn't figure her out.

Nor could I work out why I cared so much. I really wanted her to like me. Not pathetically. My pride and self respect meant I wouldn't humiliate myself or anything. 

I went to breakfast on Saturday morning and sat alone. The hall was abuzz in preparation for the big, first game of the year.

Gryffindor won the last couple of years and that was apparently important to some people.

It was beyond my comprehension.

I didn't real have the energy to attend the game. That's why I had breakfast early so I could sneak off to use the library while it was empty.

It was probably the height of being a geek using a school sporting event to study but hey, that's just what I'd rather do.

Surely it would be worse to force myself to sit through something I hated?

Not being myself on purpose was surely geekier? I reasoned with myself.

I snuck off to the library while the noise of the crowds of people gathering got louder and louder. As groups joined together as they funnelled out of the castle.

I went into the library and stared down the completely empty aisles and shelves. It was an odd sight. The restricted section at the end was alluring. I would never sneak in, but if I were to this would be the perfect opportunity.

I took a table which was hidden around a corner so I could be truly alone.

I looked at the list I made on my scroll on what I needed to learn.

Transfiguration was the main thing I needed to perfect. It was a challenge. 

It would be very rewarding to overcome my shortcomings in that area.

I pulled a couple of books out and began studying.

“This is just sad,” a voice came from behind me.

I jumped a little.

Carmilla sat down next to me.

“Sitting alone in the library,” she added.

“What are you doing?”

“The same thing, but it isn't sad when I do it.”

“How do you figure that out?”

“It just isn't.”

“Well reasoned,” I scoffed putting down my quill. “I don't have any cookies to steal.”

“I know I tried to accio them but nothing.”

“Why are you talking to me?” I asked flatly. I'd tried to be nice and she’d rebuffed me and now she was in the mood then I had to stop everything?!

“Bored,” she shrugged seemingly immune to my tone and inflection.

“How charming.”

“I know, I'm naturally charming I think.”

“I don't get you,” I voiced my thoughts. “You're rude and ruder to me, you ignore everyone and yet on the rare occasion you want talk I have to ignore your previous behaviour?”

“Pretty much.”

“Unbelievable.”

“You've known me for a couple of weeks sweetheart you can hardly talk about what I am or am not like.”

“Selfish and mean,” I told her. “Like any other Slytherin.”

“Now who's being mean?” She asked in a hush tone standing and leaving. 

I felt bad.

Why did I feel bad? She was rude to me… Though it was more harmless. It was almost flirtatious. Where I had just tried to cut her down.

I couldn't get back to studying. I was too distracted. 

I got up and collected my things and scooped them messily into my bag. I regretted not going to the Quidditch now. I didn't know how I was going to kill time until dinner.

Those bloody matches could go on endlessly. 

I could hear my footsteps ringing on the stone floor. It was disconcerting being here all alone. 

I rounded a corner and saw a handful of Slytherins whispering together.

I didn't know what instinct made to flatten against the wall and peer around stealthy. Just a feeling of danger. Running into a group of Slytherins in an empty hall could be terrible.

Harassment was the least one could expect.

Glancing around the corner I saw Theo with Goyle and another boy. They looked like they were conspiring. 

Oh no.

I realised what it was…

At least what it might be. 

Carmilla was alone. Walking around this area.

Theo was a nasty guy who must want some revenge. 

The majority of the school and professors were down at the Quidditch pitch.

I was probably being paranoid. They might just want to steal something or vandalise something. This was another instance when a mobile phone would come in really handy. 

If I was able to text Carmilla and say Theo was plotting something in the halls; watch your back. I wouldn’t worry.

Though considering our interactions I really doubted she would have given me her number. 

I kind of regretted being short with her now. Though this was paranoia again. 

I glanced again and saw they were moving off, I took a steadying breath and followed. I took my wand out of my trouser pocket and pointed them at my feet holding them close together.

“Silencio,” I murmured. 

I silenced my own footsteps and trailed the boys. 

They were walking like they were up to no good. I was peeking around corners then jogging to catch up to the next corner. It felt ridiculous. The emptiness of the castle was disconcerting, combined with the weird, spooky silence I had magically created. 

Eventually my fears were confirmed, Carmilla was leaning against a wall and Theo and Goyle and the other one were calling at her.

“Hey bitch!”

His voice reverberated through the halls. It was cruel and angry. 

It made me shiver. 

“What do you want Tom?” She asked, clipped and aloof. 

“Theo,” he bellowed. Fury rippled through the halls. “You’re going to pay for what you did to me.”

“What did I do to you?” She asked, still leaning casually against the wall. Her eyes darted past them and saw me peeking out from the corner from where I was hiding. 

She clearly acknowledged me before looking back at the boys confronting her. There wasn’t even a flash of fear in her face. I would be crapping myself. 

I snuck up behind them holding my wand tight. Not wanting it to shake from the nerves. 

“Are you fucking kidding me? You psycho bitch!” Goyle interjected.

“Oh,” she tapped her chin in mock thoughtfulness. “Are you the moron who can’t cast a basic shield spell?”

“You’ve done it now,” Theo pulled his wand.

“And I hadn’t before hand? This was just a friendly chat before?” She chuckled. 

Things happened quickly, she had her own wand out and was casting protego to block the incoming hex. As the other two drew their wands I revealed my presence.

“Rictusempra,” I cried shooting the curse at Theo’s back. He dropped his wand and fell to the floor howling with laughter and writhing around. 

His two friends turned in shock, the looks on their face were of stunned disbelief. Goyle looked like a gormless idiot right up until he fell forward under Carmilla’s body bind curse and then the nameless lackey fell to another curse I didn’t hear in the rush.

He fell down and crawled to the wall and propped himself up holding his head, shaking it in clear distress. 

“Hey,” I called to Carmilla who was putting her wand away. 

“Hey,” she replied looking down at our handiwork, before starting to chuckle softly. 

“What’s funny?” I asked confused. I would have thought this was a very serious situation. 

“You.”

“Me?!”

“You used the tickling spell?! It’s hilarious you, the innocent, too happy girl uses a fucking tickling charm in a duel.”

“Seriously? No thank you?”

“I would have been fine.”

“Ok fine,” I was annoyed now. I turned on my heel and tried to storm off, it was less impactful than I perhaps wanted as my feet made zero sound. 

I was genuinely surprised. Pleasantly so, when she caught up with and grabbed my arm.

“Thanks cutie,” she said matching my pace. 

“You’re very welcome,” I beamed at her. 

“Eugh, I’d rather have been hexed.”

“No you wouldn’t,” I said in a sing song voice. 

“Eugh. I suppose I should be nicer.”

“That’s right you should. Wait, why?” I asked suspicious of her turn of heart.

“Because they’ll recover and kill you.”

“Oh. I didn’t think of that… I just saw them and thought they’d use this chance to attack you back… I didn’t consider the repercussions.”

I really didn’t. That was stupid of me.

“Well… Thanks again, I didn’t realise you were sneaking around the school watching my back.”

“Yeah, it’s funny actually, I was thinking how useful it would be to have a mobile.”

“A mobile what?” She asked confused. We had stopped at the side of a corridor which had huge windows which looked out on the school grounds. The Quidditch pitch was visible. I’m sure if I had binoculars I would be able to see people flying around above the stands. 

“Phone…”

She had jumped up on one of the window ledges with her back to the outside and crossed her legs. I would have thought that was impossible in leather trousers but apparently not. 

I shook my head. Bad. Don’t stare.

“Oh, that’s some muggle shit isn’t it?” 

“Useful not shit,” I corrected. 

It didn’t work. I tried to convince her about the benefits of mobile phones and televisions and then found it almost impossible to explain what the internet was. 

It was nice though. Just chatting without her being bitchy with me. Me trying to convince a pure blood Slytherin that electronics have some use while she scoffed at me was more fun than watching people chasing a nearly invisible golden orb on brooms.

She told me my love of muggle ‘shit’ was the reason she was so much better at magic. It was a distraction. 

There was an audible roar from the grounds which stopped our conversation. Someone had won. 

She hopped off the makeshift seat.

“That’s my cue to leave cutie.”

“Ok see you in class. Or skulking around the library.”

She laughed shortly. 

“I’ll help you with your transfiguration sometime…” she walked off. “Oh,” she turned back, “thanks again.”

“Welcome!” I called after her. 

The warm glow from our nice bonding session was increased by the jubilant atmosphere in the common room. We won! Well not we. I had little to nothing to do with it. People had sweets and butter beer and were partying. 

I still didn’t really understand the sport but it was nice to see everyone so excited. 

It was difficult to sleep that night. The noise went on really late until the prefects forced people to finally give up and go to bed. 

“Laura you awake?!” Betty asked me loudly. Talking way too loud for the distance between us. I wonder if she was drunk. Some were known to sneak in alcohol in their trunks.

I couldn’t be bothered. I just lay still pretending to sleep.

She breathed out hard, clearly annoyed before getting into bed. 

I would repair that relationship another day. 

I spent Sunday bored out of my mind. Whatever Carmilla said a television or a laptop would have been incredibly useful. I was reading by candle light like a pilgrim. 

I got to breakfast in the great hall really early and sat and waited for anyone I knew to show up. 

Something was very wrong. It felt wrong. The professors at the high table were on edge. I didn’t think I was imagining it. They were talking to each other and looking up at the students who were filtering in.

I looked up at the perfect moment to see Theo. My heart sank. He drew a finger over his throat while giving me a nasty look. I had made a true enemy there hadn’t I? 

When the great hall was as full as it could be Professor McGonagall took to the headmistress’ podium. A hushed silence fell over the hall.

“Students, there will an official assembly at the end of the day. However we think it best to tell as many as you as possible now before the rumours start flying,” she began.

A lot of nervous looks and quiet words were exchanged. 

“There was an explosion over the weekend, early Sunday morning, a ministry of magic building in the West of England was destroyed.”

The murmurs broke out.

“Silence!”

There was instantly.

“No one was injured. It was empty for the weekend. However the ministry does believe this deliberate. No one should panic. However Hogwarts will have the presence of aurors at the main gate.”

She paused to survey the hall. Presumably to check the reactions of the students. 

“This is nothing to be alarmed about I’m sure. However until the culprit is apprehended and in custody the ministry and the school feel a little extra security will do no harm.”

I looked down at the piece of toast I had held without realising through the whole speech and tossed it aside suddenly not hungry anymore. 

“This won’t affect your day to day activities and lessons at all. The protection is outside of school grounds and you won’t see or hear it. Don’t worry no curfews will be enforced and trips to Hogsmeade won’t be suspended.”

The relief was palpable. 

I didn’t know what to think. I know I didn’t want to eat. 

Were all these things connected? It didn’t seem likely that there would two people disappearing, one person definitely dead and now a government building attacked all by different, separate individuals with no connection. 

I told myself all the time that gossiping and giving into the temptation of indulgent speculation was wrong. However when there was foundation to speculate then when did gossip cross the border into reasonable doubt?

If I wanted to be a journalist I would have to investigate some things without having concrete evidence… I had hurt my own head… Besides what investigating could I actually do from the school?

I had to worry about other things first. Learning how to finally transfigurate an item, avoiding getting hexed into the hospital wing by some vengeful Slytherins and try to further bond with another Slytherin.

Maybe not in that order.

Speaking of gossip, the potions master professor Slughorn loved gossip. 

The class was all there early possibly hoping he would divulge more than the notoriously proper headmistress.

He didn't disappoint.

“Well I have several friends in the ministry,” he announced proudly. 

If gossip was his favourite thing to do then bragging was a very close second.

“Even Harry Potter himself, so let me tell you I would be the first to know anything.”

There was a groan from the class.

“Now, now, I know, I know, but I wouldn't worry yourself too much. If you want my opinion?”

He raised his eyebrows waiting for approval. He loved sharing his opinion.

Despite his flaws he was a very likeable man. Plus like a few other professors a war hero.

“I think we have a case of a lone nutter, nothing more. Scary? Yes. A shame? Also yes. Yet there is little to worry about here. The aurors are very professional and he or she will be in Azkaban before you know it.”

I believed him. It made sense. 

“But professor what if…” A Ravenclaw began but Slughorn held up his hand to stop them.

“I think we've had enough of that for today. Now who has heard of Polyjuice potion?” 

“It's a potion used to change one's appearance to an exact copy of another,” LaF answered immediately. 

“Take 10 points.”

Classes went as normal. It wasn't until defence against arts things got a little tense. I sat at the back with Carmilla as was becoming my regular spot this year. She actually said hello to me for the first time ever. 

I guess cursing people together at the weekend was a great way to make friends.

Theo arrived with Goyle in tow. I guess they were forming a group. He snarled at us both. I looked down at my notes but I saw in the corner of my eye Carmilla giving a wave.

She just didn't care at all did she.

I kind of envied that, on a certain level. 

Though my heart did sink a little when Professor Longbottom instructed us to take to the practice room. It had been our homework to perfect our shield spells after all.

We were to demonstrate that we had done so to the professor. 

When he called me up I knew before it happened who was going to barge forward to ‘practice’ with me.

Theo stood opposite me, at duelling distance. His features hard and angry. 

Calm yourself Laura. Calm. 

“Stupefy!” He screamed.

“Protego,” I returned a solid shield erupting from my wand destroying the spell. The sparks shattering over the wall I made. 

“Stupefy!” He attacked again.

“Protego!” I repeated blocking the second attack. 

He shouted with frustration and raised his wand high for a third attack.

“Expelliamus,” the professor stepped in disarming Theo. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”

“Practicing!” He spat back.

“Watch that attitude. 10 points to Hufflepuff and 10 from Slytherin.”

I guess I could cross learn protego from my to do list.


	3. t h r e e

I waved my wand over the cup and muttered the words and it changed half into a bird and half a cup still.

I grumbled with frustration.

“You need to be smoother with your wand movement,” Carmilla told me.

She had lived up to her word and taken me to a private classroom after lessons and dinner were done and helped me practice. 

I tried again on one of the many other cups I had brought with me. She turned the failed attempt back to its original state. 

I really focused upon my wand movements but it didn't work that much better.

I sighed and let my shoulders and arms go limp as I took a breath. 

“Come on,” she said smirking at my failure. After another couple of failures. I wanted to toss my wand away in anger.

“It can't all be in the motion.”

“It nearly always is,” she corrected. 

She came and stood behind me, really close. My breath hitched a little as she slid her arm around mine, snaking it down the forearm to hold onto my wrist.

“Try again, I'll help.”

I repeated the transfiguration spell as she commanded my wrist and the cup changed into a yellow Canary and tweeted and chirped before taking flight.

I literally jumped with excitement and giggled with happiness. I turned to thank her with her arm still around my arm and we were face to face still touching.

I forgot immediately what I was going to say. We were a few inches apart. Face to face. Just staring at each other.

I could feel my heart thumping a tattoo on my rib cage.

Her eyes scanned up and down my face slowly, I wasn't sure but I think her gaze lingered on my lips. In response I looked down at her lips.

She had a nice mouth. She had nice everything actually.

Footsteps down the hall outside broke us out of the moment and we broke apart quickly. A little too quickly as if we were doing something wrong or worthy of suspicion.

The footsteps got louder and louder they passed the classroom and then got quieter and quieter. 

I exhaled with a shudder. 

“Thanks,” I mumbled remembering what I was going to say. My bare flesh at my wrist where she had her fingers wrapped was tingling still. 

“For?”

“Helping me with transfiguration,” I said in a low voice. I felt shy and bashful all of a sudden.

“Oh right,” she said absentmindedly. She shook her head and I couldn't help but watch her jet black curls shake with the motion of her head. “You haven't really done it.”

“Whatchya mean?”

“Technically I did it and you just said the words.”

I opened my mouth to argue but decided against it. That was true. I kept practicing and after a few more tries I was getting it right every time.

It gave me a head rush of joy when I had several yellow canaries flying around and squeaking in the high ceiling. It felt like true accomplishment. It did right up until one of them crapped on my shoe.

Carmilla laughed at me but my good mood couldn't be spoilt. I cast a cleaning spell on my feet.

“I'm going to celebrate!” I announced proudly.

“How? Cookies and sugary treats?” She smirked condescendingly as she used her wand to turn the birds back into mugs and floated them down into the box.

“Yup,” I said unapologetically.

“Well that's my nice deed done for the year… Maybe century. If you want any more help you'll need to stop me being murdered again.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I smiled broadly at her. “I see through your front.”

She growled, actually growled.

I picked up the box of cups before putting it back down and taking out my wand again.

“Wingardium leviosa,” I said with a dramatic flick of my wrist. I sometimes forgot that I could use magic. I had embarrassed myself once cleaning mud from my shoes after care for magical creatures manually with a brush.

I floated it out in front of me and out of the room.

Carmilla followed me out and we split up in the corridor. She would be headed off wherever she went and I was going to the kitchens to return the cups and get a late snack.

“Hey wait,” I called after her and she slowed down without stopping.

“Yeah?”

“You know this Hogsmeade trip… Not trip erm,” I was getting nervous again. I didn't quite know why. “Outing… Look… Well it's the first time that we’re allowed there…”

I had turned into a babbling mess all of a sudden. It didn't help that she had stopped and turned and had crossed her arms over her chest appraising me with a bemused smirk.

“So as we’re going, allowed to go…” I trailed out and took a breath. “Want to go with me?”

“Sure.” She turned and left.

It felt anticlimactic after how long it took me to ask. 

The house elves only added to my great mood, they were so happy and pleased I had succeeded in my goal of transfiguration with the cups. They gave me a platter of cookies and a thermos of hot chocolate. 

When it came to sleeping I didn't know whether or not it was my sugar binge which made it hard to drift off. 

I kept thinking of my weird, intense moment with Carmilla in the empty classroom. It made my stomach twist and turn in a way I didn't understand and didn't recognise. 

Why had I got so worried and anxious and tongue tied asking her to go Hogsmeade.

I tried to push all of those thoughts out trying to find sleep.

My head was foggy and unsettled, finding it hard to concentrate by breakfast from my poor night's sleep.

“In the nicest possible way of saying this L,” LaF said in between bites of toast. “You don't look great.”

“I'm sleepy.”

“Didn't you sleep?”

“I ate my weight in cookies last night.”

“5 whole cookies!” Danny joked.

I just huffed too tired to think of a clever quip like I certainly would every other time.

“So you looking forward to our first trip to Hogsmeade?!” Perry asked. I think she was being nice, saving me from being taunted. “We can get butterbeer and look at the shrieking shack and… Well I'm sure there's other stuff to do.”

“There's Honeydukes, the Three Broomsticks and a tea shop but that's for dates… I really want to go to the Cauldron shop,” LaF added.

“Of course you do,” Danny rolled her eyes. She had been in a bad mood since losing at Quidditch to my house. Apparently she scored a lot and Kirsch stopped every shot but Hufflepuff got the snitch. “What about you Laur? Anything you want to do?”

My heart sank with fear. I didn't really want to broach this. I hadn't even considered this.

“I'm erm, doing something,” I said. I stared down into my oatmeal. 

“What? If you have schoolwork just put it off until later, it's our first trip!”

“No I'm going just I'm doing something else…”

“What?” Danny asked sounding annoyed. I guess I was being evasive. 

“Does our little Laura have a date?” LaF asked.

“No!” I snapped far too quickly. 

“Oh being sensitive!” Danny perked up. I could feel my cheeks burning all the way up to the tips of my ears. “We all depart together you can't hide this for long.”

“Come on L tell us! Who's the lucky fella?” 

“It's not a date,” I managed to get out. Dying from embarrassment.

“Well who? You're abandoning your friends on a big first time occasion so we deserve to know,” Danny pushed.

“I'm not abandoning you! And it's not a date either.”

“Come on tell us.”

“Tell us.”

“I asked that new girl,” I finally said. I was staring at my breakfast moving my spoon back and forth. 

“Who? Oh you mean the Slytherin who injured that other Slytherin?!” Perry spoke up after they paused to work out who I meant. 

“Yeah,” I admitted sheepishly, my voice coming out high pitched.

“What the fuck? You're dating a girl now?”

“Not. A. Date!” I spelled out. I was far too tired for this nonsense.

“Then what do you call it?”

“We're just friends!”

“Just friends?!”

That was a loaded way of putting it.

“Friends, we’re friends,” I corrected hurriedly. “Friends.”

“When did this suddenly happen?” Perry asked.

“It didn't suddenly anything we share a load of classes.”

“Then why don't you invite her to hang out with all of us?” Danny asked.

That was a fair question. It wasn't a date that was for sure. Though I really didn't think she'd like that. This was awful.

I could ask Carmilla whether she wanted to hangout with my friends. But I didn't want that in all self honesty. My mind flitted back to the classroom, where we were so close to one another and something screamed in my head that I didn't want to share my time with her.

I'd bury those thoughts down deep for now.

Worry about whatever they were at a later date. 

“Hello!? Laura?” Perry’s voice broke through my mini day dream.

“I'm awake!”

“So?”

“So what? Oh, well I don't think she's much of a people person.”

“You're telling me? I don't think I've seen her since the first night when she was sorted into Slytherin,” Danny agreed. She made the word ‘Slytherin,’ sound filthy.

I don't really know why it got my back up. I would have agreed with her normally. In every other instance. It just didn't feel right when applied to Carmilla.

After all the other Slytherins disliked her. Apart from me I don't think anyone liked her nor her them.

I got a lucky break from this interrogation when Kirsch came sauntering over and plonked himself down at the Hufflepuff table and took a piece of toast from Danny's hand.

“Morning girls, ouch,” he got punched hard in the arm by Danny for bread based theft. He just retorted by shooting her a cheeky grin. “What you talking about?”

Unlike Danny he was completely unaffected by the Gryffindor loss at the previous weekend. Still cheery.

“Hogsmeade.”

“Oh yeah cool should be fun.”

“Laura is going on a date,” Danny said. There was some venom behind her words which I didn't like the sound of.

“It's not a date!” I almost shouted banging my hand on the dining table for emphasis.

“Oh who you dating with?” Kirsch asked.

“Not a… Oh forget it!” I gave up too weary to fight this anymore.

“That new girl, the Slytherin,” Danny spoke again in a tone I didn't like.

“The smoking hot brunette?” Kirsch sounded disbelieving. “Good score Laura, I didn't know you were into girls.”

“I'm not and it's not a date. How many times do I have to repeat myself?” 

“Hey no judgement here little bro, it's all cool, she's super hot.”

“I can't be bothered,” I mumbled. Angry now. I got up and stormed off. I was far too sleepy to have to say the same thing over and over again.

I had potions next which meant I would be with LaF. It was a rare occurrence that I longed to be alone and friendless in a class but this was one of those rarities. 

I slouched over my bench and withdrew my potions book and quill and tossed them onto the desk. I was a dreadful mix of exhausted and angry. I expected to get shit from the Slytherins and maybe from the popular girls now and again.

I didn't expect it from my own friends, especially when I had done nothing wrong.

It would be unfair to not let me make other friends. They all had other people they were friends with. Not all of whom I was the biggest fan of. Yet I kept my mouth shut.

I didn't respond when Lafontaine slid into the chair next to me and touched my arm lightly.

“Come on L we were just teasing you.”

I flat out ignored them. 

I heard their sigh and felt a little bad but not bad enough to reply.

We learnt about Pepperup potion. Something that was made to soothe and remedy illnesses. Unlike our first lesson which was a competition we had now slowed into the tedium of term work.

It was probably a good thing we weren't doing practical brewing today as I wasn't in the mood for teamwork.

After class I left as the second we were dismissed and ignored my friends calls.

Still not sure why I was being so sensitive, but I was pissed off. Especially by Danny… Well mainly by Danny whose tone really rubbed me the wrong way. 

Most of the day was spent angrily moping around and not forgiving my friends. It was just teasing… I kept telling myself that but couldn't shake the anger.

Even when stroking and then watching a cute Niffler sniff out Leprechaun gold in care of magical creatures didn't help. They were the best thing I'd seen in the class. Adorable. Though not even they wiped my displeasure away.

I even ate lunch in my dorm room. A couple of leftover cookies from the massive platter the house elves gave me. I really intended on improving my diet. As I intended on improving my relationship with Betty…

It could be worked on later.

The last class of the day was muggle studies. Normally tedious but Carmilla was there. I sat down next to her. Still confused how she managed to teleport into each class before anyone else.

“Have you had transfiguration yet?”

“No, tomorrow,” I told her.

“Try not to fuck up my hard work and forget what we practiced. I'll be annoyed if my rare good deed is wasted.”

“Maybe I will on purpose. You try to annoy me after all.” 

She scoffed before taking my textbook.

“Something we could do in Hogsmeade, well something you could do is buy the books you need.”

“I have them all, it just seems like a lot of effort to drag them around.”

“Seriously?” I asked not knowing why I asked it seemed like a likely thing for her to do.

She snorted a derisive laugh. 

I let her keep it in front of her for now. 

“Turn to page 320, the chapter about the evolution of muggle use of ‘light bulbs,’” the professor instructed. 

I repressed a chuckle. It was funny hearing wizards talk about something like a light bulb in the same way one would talk about a rare, unusual artifact of a lost civilisation. 

I reached out to get my book without looking.

My hand fell on top of Carmilla’s. I left it lying on top her’s for a moment. Something, I didn’t know what made me drag my thumb in a light caress over her knuckles before realising what I was doing and moved my hand away in lightening speed. 

She pushed the book in between us so we could share it. 

“Thanks,” I mumbled. I could feel the heat of uncomfortable embarrassment rising on my cheeks. 

My heart had started beating a little too quickly again. 

I tried to breath normally, so noone could tell anything was wrong, trying to make sure it wasn’t ragged and abnormal; like my heartbeat. 

After class I decided already I was going to skip dinner in the hall. I didn’t want to see my friends still. 

“See you later,” I said to Carmilla outside of the classroom.

“Sure thing cutie,” she smiled at me and my stomach tightened. 

I stood outside of the classroom, lingering for a moment longer than needed to watch her walk away. Walking back to the kitchens and the common room I pushed all the swirling mess of confusing thoughts out of my head. 

For the millionth time I longed for my laptop as I just lay in my bed waiting for time to pass. Tired but not ready for sleep. It was a painful boring experience. 

Eventually my introspection was broken by Betty barging in. 

“Hey, Perry was looking for you,” she said. “Something about your date with the new girl.”

“What the fuck,” I cursed throwing my legs over my bed and planting my feet on the floor. “It’s not a date,” I repeated. I was sick of saying those words. 

“I didn’t know you were like that Laura, something interesting about you.”

“Oh piss off, it isn’t a date, I’m just friends with her,” I told her, anger rising up again. “Did Perry tell you that?”

“Huh? Oh no, Danny mentioned to Natalie who told SJ who told me.”

“Terrific.”

“It’s good to know she’s gay, takes her out of the competition if you know what I mean.”

“Am I invisible? Can people not hear me. Not gay, neither of us, not a date, not a… Fuck,” I swore again and stalked out of my dorm room and down to the common room. Furious. 

“Laura,” Perry said in a small voice, looking down at her hands which were held together in front of her worrying each other. 

“What?”

“Are you mad at us?”

“Yes.”

“Why though? It was good natured teasing.”

“Was it? When I asked you guys to stop? When Danny went off and told everyone some shit behind my back? Why was Betty asking me about my ‘date?’” I rambled angrily off, keeping my voice low so people milling around the common room couldn’t hear. 

“Then be mad at Danny not me, not Laf, we didn’t realise you’d be so mad…”

“Well I am.”

“Why though?”

“Because…” I trailed off. I didn’t really know why. I hadn’t really looked past my annoyance. “Whatever,” I mumbled and turned on my heel and went back into my dorm room. 

I tucked myself in bed early. Returning to moping around in a bad mood. I didn’t know why I was in such a poor mood. 

Yet acknowledging that I didn’t really have a reason, at least with everyone except Danny, didn’t help soothe me.

If anything it made me angrier. Knowing Danny was spreading shit about me, especially after we’d spoken before how we hated the popular clique of girls when they did the same thing.

I slept. I was tired, but I woke uneasy, having unformed dreams which I couldn’t remember the details of but knew I was anxious in. I didn’t eat breakfast and went off to class alone, late, avoiding everyone.

Maybe it was paranoia, it probably was, but I was suspicious that people were whispering about me. 

I was in the rumor mill once again. Last time I was hoping I would be in it due to something I did rather reporting on witnessing Carmilla hospitalising Theo. Now I was envious of that. 

The idea of people chatting about me and speculating on what was essentially my attempt to be friendly to the new girl who no one else spoke to was maddening.

Now it was me who was mirroring her social behaviour and going to classes and then disappearing. I sat on my own in potions shooting Lafontaine a dirty look, they just looked pained. 

It probably wasn’t for the best that I sequestered myself away from everyone. I still didn’t know why I was pissed off, but I couldn’t shake it and the fact I couldn’t work out why was frustrating in itself.

If I was being perfectly honest with myself the fact I was unsure why I was annoyed and ticked off was one of the reasons I was. 

When Saturday morning rolled around I hadn’t really spoken to anyone but Carmilla in our shared classes since. I didn’t mention what I was feeling either. I just kept it light.

I left the Hufflepuff dorm before I got changed, and opened a window to check on the weather. It was alright. Alright in the morning would probably mean it was nice in the afternoon. 

I decided on wearing a dress which looked like it was made out of quilt patches and white plimsolls. It wasn’t for anyone else. It wasn’t… It was just a rare opportunity to look nice for a change. Instead of the unpersonalised robes or casual clothes. 

I skipped breakfast and went down to the main staircase and out the huge front door to the courtyard. It was always strange being in the courtyard. They had never repaired it since the Battle of Hogwarts to remind people of what happened that day.

The arches and stonework still broken and crumbling from missed curses and hexes. It was unsettling. Professor Longbottom cut the head of Voldemort’s snake right under the great door.

Everyone was milling around under the watchful eye of the heads of house who were in casual clothes too. Which was a weird sight. The caretaker Filch had a long scroll he was squinting at.

Presumably to check the names of those allowed to go.

Years ago it was for 3rd years and above but it had been changed to 5th years and above after the troubles. 

I went over to the caretaker and told him my name, he didn’t respond he just looked down the list and crossed me off. I shuffled away awkwardly. I saw my friends, my feuding friends and moved to stand by myself.

The last second before the group was going to depart, I had been playing with my fingernails and kicking stones under foot trying not to look at anyone, I heard the muttering of the boys. 

I looked up to see Carmilla walking down the steps from the main castle. My breath caught in my throat. 

She had black leather trousers on, a black, what I thought could be a corset, under a black, tight leather jacket. She had straightened her hair, the raven curls gone. She looked at me after alerting Filch to her presence and walked over.

“You look like an old woman’s duvet come to life cutie,” she told me with a smirk.

“We’re not going to see Iron Maiden,” I retorted.

“Who?”

“Nevermind.”

Were there wizard metal bands? I had no clue at all and without a laptop I could hardly google it… Not that it would be on Google.

I could feel people’s eyes boring into me and her. Staring. I couldn’t make out the murmurs but I knew they were directed my way. Our way. 

I didn’t care. My anger forgotten, my self-consciousness gone as I stared at her and she stared back. After a moment I realised and remembered where we were and jolted back to life and made the trip down to the Hogwart’s express to take the very short journey to Hogsmeade. 

It was exciting. 

“What do you want to do first?” I asked her, as bounced up and down on the seat in our empty carriage. It was liberating to have a train almost to ourselves. Without the first fourth years present there was so much space. 

“I really don’t care, I’m doing this for you.”

“Huh?”

“Like charity.”

“Hey!” I exclaimed, kicking her lightly in the knee. “Actually I’ll take that as your way of saying you’ll let me pick. So thanks!” 

“If it helps you feel better about yourself.”

“It does!” 

“Don’t you have any other friends to annoy?”

“I do, but we’re fighting at the moment…” I said looking out of the window watching the Scottish countryside fly by. 

“Awww, did they steal your cookies?”

“Like you do?”

“I’m charming when I do. Besides I just can't imagine anything else which would upset you. The whole sunshine and lollipop aura you have going on.”

“It doesn't matter,” I told her glancing at her giving a small reassuring smile before looking back out of the window.

“Oh phew, I thought you were just going to ramble on and on and on about how they wouldn't skip around with you.”

I smiled out the window.

I was painfully aware of the eyes of my friends looking at me as we alighted from the train. I caught Danny's eye and she scowled at me. My temper flared and I walked away quickly into the picturesque village.

It really was beautiful. It looked like a postcard.

I whistled in appreciation.

“It's gorgeous,” I muttered.

“It looks like a boring hick town,” Carmilla commented.

“Pfft, even you have to admit that it's nice to look at.”

“I guess so.”

That was best I was going to get. We descended the slope from the train station into Hogsmeade, unsure of where to go on our first visit. Though it was up to me!

I led us to the joke shop. In the muggle world, a joke shop would be the worst and lowest form of hack comedy but I was amazed by the inventions the magical ones had.

The owner was famous. George Weasley, he had a very famous family. Probably the most famous family name. There were even a couple of his elder brothers kids in the younger years.

Carmilla just moped about, unimpressed as I looked at the weird candies which could make you sick or tongue grow long. 

Why would anyone want those.

I kept picking up items and showing them to Carmilla who shook her head and rolled her eyes. I did see the ghost of a smile flicker now and again.

“If we could use magic outside of school I would jinx you now.”

“But you can't!” I sang happily.

I saw the smile flicker again. That made me happy. 

“Can we do something else? This blows.”

“Butterbeer?” I suggested. 

She nodded.

“Yeah alright it'll be better than watching you dumbfounded by childish jokes.”

“Fun jokes,” I corrected holding a finger up to emphasis my point.

“Come on I need to get out of here before I explode.”

We walked through the cobbles streets to the Three Broomsticks public house. I was captivated by the sights. It looked like the small English towns near where I grew up.

Except magical. Literally. 

The people wearing robes and hats and using walking staffs. It was delightful.

We entered the rustic pub and once again I was taken by the charming atmosphere. It was half full of students half adults. 

She went to a small booth near the back, in a secluded part of pub.

“You dragged me to that stupid joke shop you're buying.”

Fair enough.

I went to the bar and ordered two butter beers from the kindly barmaid. The tankards they came in were ludicrously big and once I paid I had to carry them one at a time with two hands.

That got a laugh.

We drank our sugar packed beverages as she asked questions about my family and my dad's job. She didn't really understand what a pharmacist was.

It was fun trying to explain the idea of doing potions with electricity to make solid medicine you swallowed. 

It did sound silly when trying to explain it but she enjoyed it. Or was bemused by it I couldn't tell.

“So what do you your parents do?” I asked. Hoping to deflect before the awkward topic of my mother came up.

“I don't care in the slightest,” she said frowning and looking down.

Awkwardness ensued anyway. 

We barely spoke as we sipped away at the 100 grams of liquidised sugar we had left. 

“Let's go for a walk,” she suggested. Less of a suggestion more of a demand, but I was happy to.

It would be a nice way to clear the air by enjoying the clear air. 

I always wanted to see the shrieking shack. Some said it was haunted. Some said it was a place for werewolves to transform under a full moon away from innocents.

Either way it was historically significant and interesting.

We walked slowly through the town to the outskirts and into the countryside towards the shrieking shack. Just as we left the boundaries town light flecks of snow began to softly fall.

We reached the ridge with a broken down fence which was the edge of the no go area. We looked down at the shack. It was spooky.

I put my head back and tried to catch a few flakes on my tongue, one fell in my eye and I whined. 

“You're an idiot.”

“This one time I may agree with you,” I nodded as I wiped my eye trying to blink out the soreness. “I can't get it!”

“Wow, ok come here,” she sighed dramatically, and walked close to me and put a hand under my chin and with the other very delicately scraped the snow out.

My heartbeat started up again. Despite the light snowfall I was heating up and my stomach was knotting. 

She let her hand slide very closely from my face leaving a burning and tingling feeling under the path her fingers took. I shuddered and trembled.

We were still standing so close, any closer and our feet would be on top of each other. I was looking at the lapels of her leather jacket, intently staring for I don't know how long.

One more steadying breath and I looked back up to face her. She had an expression I couldn't read at all. 

She frowned, her eyes were staring at the middle of my face before they flitted up to meet mine. I couldn't read her at all she was searching for something in me.

She glanced down at my mouth.

Slowly and tentatively she leaned in, closing what was left of the distance between us.

The beating of my heart was so loud I could hear it thumping in my ears. 

It didn't stop only increasing until her lips made contact with mine and the thumping dissolved.

It lasted both an age and a second.

The briefest of kisses.

She pulled back and I opened my eyes, not realising I had shut them. Her eyes were locked on mine, again searching for something.

A light dusting of snow had settled perfectly in her raven hair, an exact contrast. 

I broke out of my trance and looked up her and placed my hands lightly on her waist, barely touching her, like she was made of glass.

Instinctively I leaned up on my toes to kiss her again. Chaste and softly. Our lips finding each other and exploring each other.

When we came apart it was natural, my hands still on her waist. Her hand balled up in my dress at the shoulder. 

My breath came out ragged and stifled.

“Huh,” I finally managed.

“What?” She whispered softly.

“I guess this was a date after all.”

She smiled, her eyes moving up and down my face. 

A few moments passed of us just standing, locked in place, fixed in our position. 

Finally we moved apart and her hand sought mine and entwined her fingers with mine. We turned from the view we had been enjoying only to unlace our hands immediately.

Danny was standing 20 metres away staring with a slack jaw, her eyes popping in disbelief.

Carmilla and I made some distance between ourselves. Though from her reaction it appeared to be a little late.

She made her way over.

“The trips over, we have to go back to the castle,” she said through clenched teeth. 

“What? We have a couple hours left?” I questioned in disbelief. 

“There's been some bad news.”

Oh no.

“What?”

“I don't know, I was told to get you, come on,” Danny turned and walked off at pace.

We exchanged a look and made our way after her.


	4. f o u r

It was a weird feeling I was experiencing. Joy from the sweet moment and kiss I shared with Carmilla on the lightly snowing Scottish hillside. Yet panic from being caught.

Panic was taking hold. Something else bad having happened, which was still uncertain, took the pendulum over into panic. 

We were sitting on the train in silence steaming back to Hogwarts. The chaperoning professors didn't look calm either as they warded us onto the train.

My mind raced between all those topics. 

“You alright cutie?”

“Huh?” I was snapped out of my trance. I stopped staring out of the window.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah… I guess…”

“Well talk to me then.”

I hadn't expected that. She hadn't struck me up to now as someone who would like to chat about feelings… Maybe something had changed between us.

Well clearly it had. Besides the physical interaction evolving there was a tender note in her voice which I had never heard before. 

“Cutie?”

“Sorry,” I apologised, I had slipped into deep thought again. “Just… I don't like being gossiped about.”

“Well… You can't really help that… Do you regret it?”

“No, gosh no!” I exclaimed. I didn't want her to think that.

Despite it being unexpected, despite it coming out of the blue it wasn't something I regretted. 

“Well whatever happened, whatever this big news is will probably dominate the rumours and gossiping.”

“I suppose so.”

She stood up in the train carriage and moved over the compartment to sit next to me. Her hand snaked out and took mine, she curled her fingers through mine and entwined them and squeezed reassuringly.

It seemed like a big move but I had the urge to rest my head on her shoulder. She removed her wand from her pocket and muttered something and the blinds on window on the door rolled closed. 

We alighted the Hogwarts express and trudged up towards the castle. When asked what was happening the professors dismissed the question. 

We were shepherded as a group to the great hall. The younger years and the handful of people who didn't go to Hogsmeade were already inside.

Professor McGonagall was standing at the lectern at the head of the hall. The great tables were gone as they were when an assembly happened.

I felt dread. Deep dread.

We shuffled in. Carmilla and I stood at the back together. I was on edge as people glanced over at her. Had Danny already told everyone what she saw on that snowy hill top?

No, that was paranoid, it was probably just the presence of Carmilla. No one except those in her classes had seen her… That was it. 

Nerves made me play with my wand in my pocket. It was comforting. 

The stern headmistress pointed her wand at her throat and I saw her mouth move. Probably casting sonorous.

“Silence,” she called. “We have received news, early afternoon, that an auror was killed and another severely injured in a scuffle.”

Oh no.

“We don't have any more details. Anyone who pretends they know more is lying. So don't allow yourself to fall for tabloidization of the facts.”

The students broke into low chat, digesting the information. 

“The heads of house and I will be meeting with ministry officials later today. Security precautions we agree to will be revealed as soon as we have it.”

She surveyed the hall.

“Now please try to enjoy the rest of your weekend. However I would advise you be calm and remember you are Hogwarts students, conduct yourselves accordingly. Dismissed,” she nodded and cast another spell on her throat and departed from the lectern.

The noise which broke out was deafening. There was a heavy suppressed silence clouding the room which was released the second we were dismissed. 

I was standing dumbfounded for a moment before Carmilla grabbed my wrist and yanked me into movement. 

We left quickly before the crowd followed and clogged the halls.

After several twists and turns down corridors we stopped. She stopped by a window and hopped up on the deep window ledge and sat cross legged. 

“See?”

“See what?” I asked confused as I hopped up onto the ledge and leaned back against the wall.

“Couple of deaths will be far more interesting to everyone then who some nerdy little girl kissed.”

“Hey! Plus It was only one death…”

“Oh really I wasn't really paying attention,” she said dismissively as she stared out of the huge window watching the light snowfall onto the grounds. 

“How can you not?”

“Because who cares? People die all the time.”

“That's pretty cold.”

“Realistic.”

“Not mutually exclusive.”

“I suppose not,” she said still staring, she looked a million miles away. She shifted so she was facing me and started playing with my hair. Running her fingers through the bottom quarter of it.

“I just can't see the bright side in such a terrible event.”

“Oh shut up, stop ruining the day,” she whispered looking up at me, smirking, then back at my hair.

Her fingers moved in a gentle, soothing rhythm. 

“What if someone comes by?” I asked as I rested my hands on her knees.

It was nice to sit like this. We weren't really doing anything wrong. Girls did each other's hair. That was a normal thing to do. Just it wasn't innocent here was it?

“Use your ears? Besides I don't really care.”

“No?”

“Not in the slightest I couldn't care what anyone thinks of me.”

“Even me?” I asked, she smiled at me and went back to playing with my hair. “Well,” I continued after I didn’t get an answer, “I don’t like people talking about me.”

She didn’t reply to that, just let her hand fall and grip my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. 

I don’t know how long we sat on that window sill, she eventually shifted next to me and I rested my head on her shoulder like I wanted to on the train as she held my hand in her lap, running her thumb up and down the length of my hand. 

“This is nice but I need to eat something,” I finally reluctantly told her, it was really reluctantly. However my stomach growled and I hadn't anything to drink since that butterbeer.

The sugar comedown didn't help.

“Sure thing,” she agreed moving slowly to let me up. We stood awkwardly in the corridor for a moment.

I wasn't really sure what to do. Goodbye wasn't enough, but I didn't want to get caught kissing her again. I glanced over my shoulder then hers and hopped forward to kiss her lightly on the cheek catching the corner of her mouth.

I hopped back again to a distance, tilted my head sideways and grinned. She had put her hand to her cheek softly touching where I had kissed.

She looked up and returned my smile. Her’s wasn't quite so goofy and energetic as I imagine mine looked. More elegant and dignified.

I went to the kitchens, I couldn't shake the giant, ear to ear grin I had plastered over my face. I entered the kitchens and waved to the house elves and requested a late dinner.

“You're very happy today Miss Laura,” one squeaked at me.

“I am.”

“Would you like a thermos of hot chocolate?”

I really did. It was always great making the house elves happy. I had wanted to repay them in some manner. However I knew I couldn't.

My mood faltered as I paused outside of the entrance to my common room. The thought of Danny spreading rumours and walking into a room full of judgement and hushed talk coming to an end as they spotted me filled me with dread. 

Deep breath. 

I tapped the combination and the barrels parted over the secret entrance way.

I shuffled in but no one seemed to care so I went by everyone to my room. I swear I used to hang out with people and had casual friends… That had ended. I had become more of a loner in the last few weeks.

I felt relief and the grin returned and I went up to my room, it was empty as per usual. 

The benefit of having a socialite for a roommate meant I got the room to myself nearly all the time. I pushed my pillows up against the wall keeping the yellow one in front and read through my notes while eating my late dinner.

It was hard to concentrate but I needed to.

I kept myself cooped up on Sunday, trying my hardest not to socialise. I did I have a sense of dread just lingering in the back of my mind. Worried Danny would gossip.

By Monday it was more at the forefront of my mind. I didn't want to be a coward though and I went to breakfast and sat with my friends. When Danny sat down nothing was discussed.

She did shoot me a look I couldn't read. 

They all just talked about the scuttlebutt around the murder of the auror over the weekend.

Danny and I were the ones who didn't join in too much. I was too on edge to focus enough to join in and she kept shooting me looks with a furrowed brow.

The nerves turned to anger and I fantasized about pulling my wand out of my robes and sneakily jinxing her under the table. 

“L! L! Hey L!” LaF slapped my arm.

“What? What? What?” I rambled off quickly as I was brought back to earth. 

“Are we cool now?” They asked.

I was confused for a moment, I had forgot the fact I had been annoyed by all my friends most of last week. The experience of the weekend had washed all of those thoughts away.

“Yeah, yeah we're fine.”

“I'm sure you are,” Danny grumbled under her breath.

“What's that?” Perry asked her. She had said it very quietly.

“Nothing,” Danny replied as she returned to worrying her cereal with a spoon.

Though not before shooting me a dirty look.

I ran through the jinxs I knew in my head as a way to calm myself down.

Danny barely ate. Neither did I. I had gone from being worried to being annoyed to frustrated, what the hell was her problem? I hadn't done anything wrong. 

Had I?

No definitely not.

It certainly didn't feel like I had, quite the opposite in fact. It made me smile if anything.

LaF and I peeled off from the table first having the longest way to go to the dungeons to get to potions. 

On the way to class two adults in dark cloaks walked past us. They were stony faced and serious.

“Who were they?”

“I think ministry officials, I saw another couple walking around near the Ravenclaw common room this morning,” LaF told me.

“Do you think things are serious? If they're patrolling the school itself?”

“I honestly have no idea. You should probably ask Slughorn, you know what he's like.”

It was a good point, he would spread gossip and later Professor Longbottom would tell us any concrete facts he knew. 

“Well let me tell you what I've heard, kept been us ok?” Slughorn said winking and touching his finger to the side of his nose tapping it knowingly.

Everyone in potions just nodded in agreement, eager to know though unlikely to keep it a secret.

“The poor young man who was killed, I knew him, you have to take potions at N.E.W.T level to be an auror after all.”

I'd never understood why that would help you fight evil wizards or dangerous loose creatures. 

“Sad. Very sad. However the young lady with him is in hospital still. When she wakes many of the unclear details will be revealed.”

“So there's nothing more professor?”

“Not officially, however, the disappearances, the murders and the explosion are considered to be linked,” he told us, in a hushed voice.

Well everyone had thought that was the case but it was nice to have that confirmed… Well not nice.

It was nice to be out of the dark.

LaF and I teamed up to make the pepperup potion. I tried my best to help, but they seemed to know what to do. 

I would be screwed by the time my exams rolled around and I had to do this on my own. I'd put it on my to do list.

“So…” Laf started, I looked over at them and there was a smile playing over their lips. “Your date put you in a better mood?”

I just groaned dramatically.

“What?! You can't be so sensitive.”

“I can and I will be,” I replied. Though not seriously, I couldn't stay mad for long. Well I had I guess half a week is a long time, but I wasn't anymore.

“Still mad at Danny?”

“Yup.”

“What's going on with you guys?”

“It's nothing.”

They sighed.

“Well, at least hang out with the rest of, and bring the new girl.”

“Not sure about that…”

That was left at that with another sigh and a shake of their head. 

The cauldron smelled amazing, like pepper and rocket salad leaves and children's medicine. LaF worked like a genius, diligent and serious.

I was relegated to cutting up the ingredients. Gillyweed was gross.

“Another perfect potion you two,” Slughorn complimented us as he made his rounds inspecting everyone's work.

“Thank you sir.”

“Take 10 points for each of your houses.”

“Thanks.”

“I want to talk to you two after class,” he told us before wandering off.

We exchanged a look of confusion. 

After everyone filtered off from the class as we remained.

“Now you two,” Slughorn addressed us from his desk. “You've really impressed me with your brewing abilities so I'd like to invite the pair of you to the Slug club!”

He made it sound like we had just been invited to the singularly most amazing thing ever.

“Thank you sir,” I said.

I had heard of the club. It was a meeting of students who the portly professor favoured in particularly. 

Instantly I felt a degree of guilt. I was piggybacking on my partners prowess. 

“Don't be offended that you're last minute additions. You'll be first on the list next time!”

He told us to come to his office on Saturday for a special dinner.

I didn't like the sounds of it, but if I didn't go then I would go from being favoured to being disliked…

Just another annoyance. 

I hadn't seen Carmilla since we split up on Saturday, and I looking forward to seeing her. 

After care of magical creatures I hurried back to the castle for defence against the dark arts.

She was already there, of course.

“Hey,” I greeted her slipping into the bench at the back where she was seated. 

“You smell like animal.”

Oh how charming.

“I've been studying animals,” I corrected. Though in all fairness I had kind of been playing with the cute little Nifflers. They had adorable little faces!

“Of course, stroking the muzzle of some stupid creature is school work.”

“It sure is.”

She smirked and shook her head. 

“Right class, today we are going move on from defensive spells to offensive,” professor Longbottom started the lesson.

My textbook was pulled from my hand and Carmilla opened it in front of her. 

“When I was your age I had the unforgivable curses demonstrated… But I'm not too sure about that,” he told us.

I felt the disappointment radiating off the Slytherin contingent of the class. Even Carmilla perked up next to me.

I could imagine much worse than seeing something killed for practice in front of me. 

“Instead we’re going to learn the stunning spell. Stupefy.”

We all filed out of the main classroom and into the adjoining practice hall. There was a table full of chocolate bars. 

Something that was great in the wizarding world was the prevalence of using sugary treats as medicine. Or alongside medicine. Still, chocolate.

“You have to demonstrate against targets first.”

There were dummies with fake wands and faces dressed like wizards across the room. There were bullseye targets on their chests.

“Stupefy!” The professor shot a red beam out of his wand knocking one of the dummies over. After a second it righted itself into its original position.

We lined up in short lines facing the targets. I stood in front of Carmilla and behind a Hufflepuff boy.

He shot a weak beam which only rattled the dummy. I managed a bit better, knocking it back but not over.

Carmilla stepped up and whispered ‘stupefy,’ the target fell back with a loud crack. The class stopped in each line to watch. 

“Well done,” professor Longbottom said, “20 points to Slytherin.”

Carmilla shrugged and walked to the back of the classroom and sat down on the floor with her knees up blocking most of her face.

After a while and a few more pointers from the professor the targets were falling more often than not. I was so proud of myself when the red jet I shot cast down the target.

I turned to see if Carmilla saw but she was lazily cleaning her nails.

I replicated my success several times. Not as well as I would have liked but it was a good start.

We didn't end up practicing on each other so the chocolate wasn't needed. When Carmilla and I were walking to divinations she fished a bar from inside her robes.

“Oh thanks!” 

“I stole a few when you were all failing to catch up with me.”

“You know, I think your 20 points has put Slytherin ahead,” I told her. I had checked the great hourglasses which measured house points in the entranceway when I returned from the grounds after care of magical creatures.

“Who cares?”

“Everyone but you?” 

“Meh.”

In divinations more doom and gloom was predicted. It was tiring. Just draining to be told you were going to die over and over, week in week out.

As we left I swear someone shot Carmilla and I a dirty look.

I shook it off.

“Have you heard of the Slug Club?” 

“The fuck is a slug club? Herbology?”

“No…” It did sound like it could be actually. “Your head of house has private dinners for a select few students.”

“Ok… So you're a special student?”

“I guess so.”

“That's hilarious.”

“No it isn't!”

“If you say so.”

I had transfiguration after lunch but I didn't want to go all the way to the great hall. I just followed Carmilla without thinking too much. She stopped by another window ledge and hopped into it.

“Why do like sitting in places like this so much?” I asked as I joined her. I had more trouble getting up.

“I like the view.”

“It is nice I suppose.”

“It's better than nice, you don't know how lucky you are,” she said wistfully. “My old school looked over snowy planes. Nothing of interest.”

“Where was your old school?”

“It doesn't matter.”

“I'd like to know.”

“Durmstrang institute. In Scandinavia.”

“Erm… Ok.” I had only heard terrible things about that school. It was openly prejudiced against muggle borns. I heard they learned dark arts.

Maybe that's why she was so good at duelling.

They were the third competitor in the Triwizard cup… That was the extent of my knowledge.

“Precisely,” she huffed. “It doesn't have the best reputation. It's cold, it's small and dingy.”

“So you prefer it here?”

“I guess. I prefer the castle and grounds.”

“You really paint a picture,” I nudged her jokingly, trying to knock her out of her melancholic state.

She smiled a small smile while still staring out of the window. We sat peacefully for a couple moments. 

“Has that giant girl talked to you yet?”

“No…” It was my turn to feel awkward. “No not yet, she's being all weird with me.”

“What do you plan on doing?”

“Taking it as it comes… Do you have any suggestions?”

“Sectumsempra.”

“Huh?”

“It's a spell.”

“Ok.” I mouthed it a few times over and over until I had it memorised. I nodded and smiled at her when I had it locked into my mind.

“I'm not being serious,” she told me with a frown.

“I wasn't going to curse her,” I said quietly. “It is a curse right?”

“You're really fucking gullible you know, and yes it is. A very powerful one at that.”

“Ok I just wouldn't put it past you to tell me something which turns out to backfire or make me vomit over myself.”

“Oh I'm not,” she said a ghost of a smile playing over her lips. 

Now I was more confused than before. 

I wasn't too sure how we stood at the moment. We were getting along great but… Were we just friends who had kissed once? Then spent an afternoon somewhat intimately leaning against one another. 

Just have to see how it played out. Even though playing things by ear and seeing how they pan out naturally made my teeth itch.

My stomach was growling by the time I got to transfiguration. Though I would rather have spent lunch with Carmilla than eating. 

At dinner Danny was giving me the same dirty looks from breakfast. 

The anger was growing and I was considering using a curse, muttered, under the table at her. 

After dinner I rushed after her and when she was alone heading upstairs to Gryffindor, I grabbed her arm and peered up at her.

“Do we have a problem?” 

“No,” she snapped. Her tone told a different story. 

“Then would you kindly stop shooting me daggers at every turn?” I asked sarcastically.

She grumbled something I couldn't hear.

“What? Don't be a bitch!” I demanded.

“Me? You're being an idiot,” she rounded on me and squared her shoulders up. 

I actually almost went for my wand. She was so much taller than me that it was intimidating to have her towering above me.

We were friends though and were on a staircase not somewhere secluded.

“Excuse me?”

“First of all you get all pissy with me when I tease you about having a date… You know on the trip where you abandoned your mates for a new girl?”

She looked furious. It was completely unjustified in my opinion, she was being really unreasonable. 

“Then it was a date wasn't it Laura? So you lied and were angry even though I was right?”

“It wasn't!” I replied indignantly. “It wasn't a date, I didn't plan anything.”

“Oh so you just made out with her as a friend?”

No response for that. It was a loaded way of putting it.

“Some nasty, sneaky Slytherin who fucking hospitalised someone on her first day? And I'm the one with a problems?”

“If we're friends as you said then why did you jump to all these conclusions without even thinking of consulting me first?”

“Whatever,” she turned on her heel and stormed off up the stairs.

I mouthed ‘stupefy,’ at her back just for the pleasure of imagining doing it.

That didn't make the situation any better.

I didn't see Perry in the common room when I got back to the dormitory. Normally she was studying. 

The next day at breakfast Danny was with all my friends and they were leaning in talking, deep in conversation. For some reason I decided I couldn't be bothered with whatever was happening and turned on my heel and left.

Was I becoming suspicious? Though it was probably just a good and sensible time in the magical world to be suspicious… Yeah that makes sense. 

I avoided my friends for the next couple days, until potions rolled around and I couldn't anymore.

It was more theory not practical now we'd made a Pepperup potion. LaF was weird and off with me, just confirming my certainty that Danny had been gossiping about me.

There was nothing bad there though. I hadn't done a single thing wrong. Just Danny seemed to think I had and probably had spun whatever her imagined problem was into an attack against me.

We were both handed a small, delicate envelope, it was light green with silver and gold letterings.

Laura Hollis - in silver.

Professor Horace Slughorn - in gold.

Of course it was that way round.

He told us to dress nicely. Did that mean dress robes or an actual dress?

“Hey L can we talk?” LaF approached me after class.

“Yeah?” I replied tentatively. Unsure of where this was going.

“Did you have a fight with Danny yesterday?”

“Maybe…”

“She didn't tell us why just you shouted at her.”

“I guess I did,” I said slowly. I didn't really want to explain why I had fought with her. Though it was good to know she hadn't told everyone why.

“Why?”

“We just had a falling out, I don't really want to explain.”

“Come on L! You've been acting weird for a while now,” they pleaded with me.

“Everything is a little weird now, aurors everywhere and… Well that's about it,” I trailed off. “Friends fight, you and Perry have… Danny and Kirsch fight constantly.”

“I suppose. It's just not great for us, being your friends and having you both mad and yet also not telling us why.”

“I will at some point, anyway,” I clapped my hands and rubbed them together to signal a change of topic. “Excited about the Slug club?”

“Yeah, it's a change, something to do on the weekend. I miss my laptop… And my tablet and phone and television and…”

“You're telling me,” I interrupted them to agree.

“It should be interesting to try regardless.”

“I'm just coasting in on your coat tails,” I joked.

When Friday evening rolled around I dressed in a light coloured smart dress and nice flats. I never wore heels. Especially in a castle with cobbled and uneven floors.

That was a recipe for broken ankle leg badness. 

It seemed when I left my dormitory that I was the only person from Hufflepuff going down to the dungeons.

I know Hufflepuff don't have the best reputation for being exceptional but only me? I didn't really deserve my place either.

The dungeons were very spooky after hours. Especially alone. In hindsight I should have arranged a meeting place with LaF before hand and gone together.

Deep breath.

I knocked on the door to Slughorn’s office, and a little slide peephole opened, closed and then a heavy lock was undone. 

Some third year I barely recognised was there and I passed over my invitation. Did the fat professor have staff? He was taking it seriously I guess.

I wandered in full of trepidation. There was a large room to the side of Slughorn’s office which had a large, circular dinner table.

First person here… Terrific. 

“Miss Hollis! Welcome, welcome,” the portly professor waddled over. He had a tweed, three piece suit on with a bow tie. Guess I had dressed appropriately.

Phew.

“Hi.”

“Welcome, welcome,” he repeated. He had a deep and full glass of an amber coloured liquid. Possibly brandy or whisky. “Can I offer you a drink?”

“Oh thank you, yes please, thank you,” I was awkward.

He nodded to one of the timid little younger years rushed off, out of sight, then came back with a silver goblet. They handed it over, and I nodded in thanks peering inside.

It was wine… I'm not old enough to drink…

I looked up at him confused.

“Oh please go ahead, on the continent it's common to drink wine.”

I took a small sip. Yuck.

“Also it's only yobs and malcontents who drink to excess and misbehave, you are part of the cream of the crop!” He patted me on the shoulder.

I took a few small sips. As I tried to explain what a pharmacist was to a potions master. He was rather unimpressed by my father's occupation.

A few more people came in. There looked like 10 people were attending. Quidditch captains from each house but my own. A couple of prefects and then LaF. We were one place shy.

Everyone else commented on how lovely the wine was. I guess it was just me. I would have preferred soda, but they didn't have that anywhere in the castle.

LaF and I talked a bit. Well I hung awkwardly next to them while they talked. Slughorn was a charming host, going in between the groups talking and socialising and introducing everyone.

Finally there was a knock at the door and the final guest arrived.

“Carmilla?” I said in confusion almost. I wasn't expecting to see her here.

My jaw went slack. She was wearing a black, because of course she was, dress, skin tight, hugging her figure, stopping halfway up her leg. Then she had thigh high black socks reaching up to right under the hem of her dress leaving a small gap of exposed skin.

She glided into the room taking the entire room’s attention.

“Good evening Miss Karnstein,” professor Slughorn was the first to spring back to action. He waved over one of his helpers to fetch her a drink.

“Professor,” she said curtly.

“I was told by my many contacts and acquaintances she was the top student at her former school! Ahead of everyone by a mile!” Slughorn bragged on her behalf.

He waved us to take places. I sat down next to Carmilla on one side and LaF on the other. I truly felt out of place. Did not belong here.

We drank wine, it got easier to drink. I started feeling a pleasant warmth spreading from my stomach to my outer extremities.

The food was amazing. Seared steak and grilled sea bass. I enjoyed eating while everyone talked. I had really got here on my potions partner’s coat tails.

Carmilla was equally stoic. Answering only when addressed directly.

After the more formal dining experience I finally got to talk to Carmilla. I felt weird, I had drunk alcohol before but I hadn't felt like this.

“I thought you never heard of this… Thing,” I asked her.

“Yeah I lied.”

“Why?”

“You're cute when you're all flustered and unsure of yourself,” she smirked over the top of her goblet before taking a sip.

I huffed and her smirk grew more broad.

“You look amazing,” I told her. My confidence higher than normal.

“I know.”

“You're the worst,” I beamed at her slapping her arm.

I put aside my goblet. I had only had two small glasses but that was enough for me. 

The conversation petered out and we left with the promise from a very drunk professor Slughorn that we would all come to his next dinner and next party.

I lingered in the hallway outside for a moment with Carmilla, waiting for LaF to leave. They were telling Slughorn about their experiments to fuse magic and muggle technology.

He seemed genuinely interested.

“Are you going back to your common room?” I asked.

“I guess, unless you want to go for a walk? The castle is beautiful at night,” Carmilla offered. 

I really did.

“I don't think we're allowed to wander around after hours?”

“So?”

That was a fair point.

“Hey L!” LaF exited the office. “It's Carmilla right?”

“Uh-huh,” she replied rudely rolling her eyes and looking away folding her arms over her chest.

“Oh, ok,” LaF frowned, disarmed by the rudeness. “Well are you coming back to the main hall L?”

“Erm, no,” I replied slowly. “I'm going to hang with Carm for a while more,” I told them sheepishly. 

“Right,” they said slowly in turn giving me a quizzical glance before wishing us goodnight and leaving.

We walked slowly for a while in silence away from the dungeons to the corridors on the first floor which had the largest windows.

“It's so pretty here,” she sighed leaning on the wall staring up at the night sky. “It's nice to appreciate the stars without having to listen to the babble of my astrology class.”

“Maybe you should be friendlier,” I said, I wasn't looking up at the stars I was looking at her. 

Framed in the pale moonlight she was breathtaking, the light illuminating her features, her dark eyes deep and brimming with thought.

I reached out more on instinct than thinking and laced my fingers with her hand by her side.

She gave one last look to the sky before turning her attention to me, fixing me with those piercing eyes.

My heart started beating faster as she reached out with her free hand to take my free hand.

Our lips touch lightly at first, chaste. Then more passionately, our mouths parting and pressed in between each ours parted lips.

It was captivating, I shuddered as we finally separated.

“Hey,” I mumbled as I leaned forward as I rested my forehead against hers. 

“Hey.”


	5. f i ve

“So can I ask you a question?” Laf asked at breakfast the Monday morning after the Slug Club dinner. 

“Shoot,” I replied through a mouthful of delicious buttered toast. 

“After Slughorn’s party why did hang out with that new girl, Carmilla is it? What did you do late at night in the castle?”

I spluttered choking on my food. I had completely forgotten about that interaction with Laf after the meal… The memory had been wiped out totally by the succeeding time I had with Carmilla. 

Our second kiss… The reaffirming kiss. Making the first one definitely not a one off. 

“Nothing,” I said hurriedly as I slurped down tea to clear the blockage. 

“Nothing,” Danny repeated with disdain in her voice.

“What is going Laura?” Perry asked. “You’re fighting with Danny, being mysterious, hanging out with this new girl who never talks to anyone but you.”

“Nothing!” I said again, stressing it this time. 

“Nothing,” Danny repeated AGAIN, basically hissing the word.

“What the hell guys?” 

“Just admit it Laura, why not?” Danny pressed me.

“Admit what?” I asked, my voice coming out high pitched and awkward. Essentially branding myself as a liar with my tone. 

“You know what.”

“Laura,” Perry said softly. “We’re your mates, just tell us…”

“So…” I started then stopped. I could feel all their eyes boring into me, and the pinkness spreading over my cheeks and to the tips of my ears. 

“When I went to Hogsmeade I may have kissed her… ok right that’s it, good? Ok, great, see you guys later,” I got up from the table and rushed off.

That was probably for the best. Rather than what? Waiting for someone else to tell them and then I would have explain myself. 

Also running away from a problem was a smart move. It meant the information could sink in and hopefully never ever be mentioned again. Genius Laura is genius. 

Except I had potions with Laf first thing. 

Ok so it wasn’t a full proof plan. 

Not quite water tight. 

I sat down in the empty potions class. No one was there yet. No one at all. I had come during breakfast. I had forgotten my bag… Because of course I had. 

“Accio bag,” I tried waving my wand in the general direction of the door.

I got hit in the face with an empty bag which was used to hold ingredients. 

I pulled it slowly from my face. This morning wasn’t going exactly as I had expected to nor hoped it would. 

I pushed the bag into a cauldron.

“Incendio!” I jabbed my wand at it and it caught fire. “Who gets the last laugh now!” I jeered the inanimate object that was burning. 

“Who are you talking to?” Professor Slughorn asked as he waddled into the class. “Also you’re early.”

“Just eager sir.”

“Terrific, I knew I was right to invite you into my club.” 

“Thank you sir. It was a lovely evening.”

“It was wasn’t it? Even I do say so myself,” he nodded as he busied himself behind his desk. “What are you burning in there?”

“Nothing important,” I said slowly, “just using my free time to practice my charms sir.”

“Good for you. An enterprising student will be destined for success. It’s a shame you’re not in my house,” he commented.

Any other time I would have been insulted at the thought of being in Slytherin, but if I shared the house with Carmilla then it wouldn’t have been so bad. 

Plus Slughorn would be a great head of house, I had never got on with Herbology and Professor Sprout, my head of house never paid me much mind. 

“Thanks,” I replied quickly, realising I had spent too long thinking and not answering. 

He wittered on about his house’s bad reputation and how he had been the one who rounded up reinforcements to turn the tide of in the Battle of Hogwarts. 

“Right?”

Oh no that was a question.

“Yes sir,” I gambled and hoped that was an answer which would fit.

“Precisely,” he nodded curtly and smiled at me. 

The rest of the class filtered in and Laf came and sat next to me and dumped my bag on the table next to me with a knowing smile. 

“Oh thanks, I forgot it.”

“Obviously, I didn’t think you did it on purpose.”

“Well… Yeah.” 

“Why did you run off?”

“No reason,” I said slowly dragging the words out way too long. 

“Nothing to do with any admissions you made?”

“Nope.”

“Nope?”

“Nope.”

“Nope?”

“Yup.”

“Yup as is yup to the admission or yup as in yup that nope is the answer?”

“What? I’m lost.”

“Come on, let’s get started, bright and breezy, ready for the week!” Slughorn cut through everyone’s conversation. 

Handwriting notes seemed mental. It was something like beating a dead horse but if I could use magic to magic up something… erm… magical. Then why couldn’t I take notes on my macbook?!

Dipping a quill in ink. 

It was ridiculous. People mocked Laf for combining muggle technology and magic but they really had a good idea there.

Though there would probably be a lot of resistance from the wizarding community considering that biro pens hadn’t made an appearance yet alone computers or anything electric. 

I dodged Laf after class not wanting an interrogation about my breakfast admission. Breakfast admission, huh, that sounded off. 

No idea what I had been expecting to happen. However all in all it had panned out pretty well considering how I was scared Danny was going to do some bad thing I was worried of but didn’t know what it might be.

Maybe I should have a celebratory skip? I glanced over my shoulder but there were first years walking in those huge groups they moved in. Like a herd of cattle. I probably should know of a magical animal which moves in herds. I would remember to ask Hagrid.

I forgot to ask Hagrid.

Though in my defence Nifflers are adorable. With their snuffly noses. I indulged with them in particular this class as we were moving on to dark creatures. 

A stuck up Ravenclaw girl had her glasses broken by the furry little animal as the sun caught the lenses and shined in the light and attracted it. Probably shouldn’t be that happy about that… But hey, I was. 

I had hoped for unicorns, a hope which annoyed me, because it was such a female stereotype to fall into; loving unicorns. But come on. A unicorn. A bloody unicorn!

Instead we'd probably get a nasty looking monster which could hurt you badly. That was risk one took with care of magical creatures. 

Whenever I had such thoughts I thought back to my muggle elementary where I had to learn long division and I counted my blessings.

Though a calculator wouldn't work in Hogwarts…

Besides the point. I shook my head to clear away silly thoughts like that.

Did they use an abacus?

No, pointless. Stop it.

What would happen if magic somehow stopped working and we all needed to join the normal world? We would have no chance… No skills or...

Could it stop working?

Ahhhh. Just being stupid.

I had to reach into my robe pocket and squeeze my wand reassuringly. Don’t stop working I told it.

“What are you doing?” Carmilla asked appearing out of nowhere to join me walking to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

“Nothing weird,” I said quickly.

“Right…”

“So what’s up?”

“Walking to class with you, what’s up with you?” She drawled sarcastically. 

“Same.”

“Fair enough.”

“Soooo…. Whatchya get up to this weekend after Friday?”

“Read.”

“Read…”

“A book.”

“Obviously, want to elaborate?” I asked in a sing song voice as I saw her smirk briefly. “I really miss my laptop…”

“Is that one of those muggle shitty things you love so much?”

“It isn’t… Look it’s good, you can watch a movie or television, type instead of handwritten… Erm, play games?” I struggled to explain the benefit of a computer pretty quickly. I had no idea if she was leading me on here. 

Not growing up in a wizarding family I truly didn’t know what they did and did not have. 

“Television? Movies?”

“Seriously?”

“You can stop asking if I’m serious about everything.”

“It’s like a story made of pictures…”

“You sound like an idiot. Also those are called pop up books and they normally come with my first broom and a rattle.”

“I’ll force you to go to the cinema one time,” I told her happily.

“Cinema?”

“Oh come on!”

There was that ghost of a smile again. Whether I had to ask whether she was being serious or not didn’t stop me from suspecting she was pulling my leg a lot. 

“Fine, if it’ll make you stop asking me exasperated questions where you’ve pretty much run out breath by the end I will.”

“Yay!”

Professor Longbottom looked distracted as he lead the class, something weighing on his mind. In the current atmosphere that could be a dark sign. 

We were learning further protection spells. Ones that could create a barrier around you. Things were getting to a stage at school where I was learning things that I had believed were advanced magic when I was little first year.

As opposed to a little fifth year. 

The homework was always rather fun for Defence against the Dark Arts. We were told to go out into the grounds, somewhere secluded and conjure a defensive wall and see if a friend could penetrate it with a mild curse.

That was fine. The weather wasn’t terrific, but it was Scotland after all. 

“So want to practice?” I asked Carmilla leaving the classroom. 

Theo walked past us and turned to run his finger over his throat. I had forgotten about him and his mates. Events had somewhat overtaken me. Nice to be reminded about an enemy though. 

Always pleasant on a Monday morning. 

“I forgot about him,” Carmilla mused, speaking aloud my thoughts.

“How? You’re in the same house as him.”

“Yeah but you know… No need to worry about him, what can he do? He can barely muster a basic shield spell.”

“Ok… Anyway,” I swiftly moved on, “have you done your dream journal for Trelawney?”

“No. I was planning on doing in the class. I’m not wasting my time on it outside of class.”

“Why are you taking Divinations then?”

“They didn’t offer it at Durmstrang,” she shrugged.

The closer we got to the ladder leading up to Divinations the other students we passed were acting stranger and stranger. 

They were huddling and whispering, rushing around. Something was up. I think I’ll tell Carmilla.

“Something is up.”

“You don’t say.”

“I do and did you notice Professor Longbottom was acting weird too?”

“I wasn’t really paying to be honest.”

“Of course you weren’t, something bad has happened hasn’t it?”

“Who knows it might something positive… Like a puppy sale or they’re handing out free singing balloons?”

“A puppy sale!”

“Oh why did I mention that?”

“A balloon and a puppy that would be a great afternoon,” I said smiling. Trying to wind her up, but equally that would be fun.

When we climbed the ladder up to Divinations we were the first students to arrive, but not only that but Trelawney wasn’t there. I thought she lived in that room? I’d never not seen her there.

We sunk down into the bean bag chairs and I heard Carmilla emit her now customary grumble at having to sit in such a silly position. She grumbled again as I shifted around in the beans of the bag trying to get comfortable.

“Now this is a lesson I enjoy,” she said as she opened my satchel and took out my Divinations book. “If you could just leave it would be perfect.”

“I know you don’t mean that,” I said with a smile. I was in a good mood, being with her. She reached over and linked her fingers through mine.

“Shut up,” she said with a smile cracking over her mouth as she shook her head, running her thumb up and down the bridge of my thumb. 

I had to keep the corner of my eye on the trapdoor which lead up to this classroom, to make sure no one was coming up. There was a difference between my friends knowing; especially after their probing. 

“No one is coming are they?” I finally spoke up after playing with the crystal ball for a while. 

Carmilla who had a quill floating and writing notes into her dream diary; presumably just making things up, let it fall to the ground. I wish I knew how to do that. It was hard, non-verbal magic.

“I guess not.”

She let go of my hand and stood up and opened the trapdoor and peered down into the hall under the classroom and turned and shrugged holding up her hands to indicate nothing. 

“So what do we do?” I asked getting a little concerned.

She didn’t answer she was just staring at me biting down on her bottom lip. 

“Well?” I pressed.

She didn’t answer again as she walked towards me slowly. I went to speak again but was stopped as she basically tackled me back into the bean bag and started to kiss me in the classroom. 

I giggled into her mouth in between kisses. Her mouth was really soft and worked equally softly against mine, her hands resting on the side of my robes, as we sunk as far back as the bean bag would give.

When the there was just a creak we broke apart and Carmilla looked over her shoulder, her wavy raven hair spilling onto my face. Even her hair smelled amazing. Don’t smell people Laura it’s weird.

“Colloportus,” Carmilla said her wand had slipped down into her hand she sent a light blue jet towards the trapdoor. 

I heard the scraping of the lock close I was about to compliment her on her prowess before she found my mouth again and started kissing me.

Leaving the classroom later I was a bit frazzled and breathless from our make out session in a classroom of all places! I had forgotten the trapdoor was locked and strained trying to pull it up.

“Alohomara,” Carmilla muttered between ill-concealed laughs and a light yellow flashed under my fingers and I fell back on to the floor as the door flew open as I had been pulling really hard and it unlocked.

“Stop laughing at me!” I whined as she helped me up. “Do you know a spell for sore arses?” I asked rubbing the affected area as she laughed out loud, having to pause and close her eyes. 

“Oh dear, I haven’t laughed that hard since I saw that first year fall down the stairs,” she said wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

“You really are a Slytherin aren’t you?” I said nudging her playfully in the ribs.

“You know when other houses say that it isn’t the insult you mean it to be,” Carmilla explained as we reached the bottom of the ladder. “If you’re in Slytherin it isn’t an insult to be in that house.”

“I wasn’t trying to insult you…” I said in a small voice.

“Oh don’t be so easily offended and worried, you really are a Hufflepuff aren’t you?”

“That isn’t the insult people think it is either you know Hufflepuff,” I stopped as I tripped over the hem of my robe. “Ok…”

She barked another laugh. 

“The fewest dark wizards ever have come from my house!” I told her proudly. “Fewer than Gryffindor!”

“Well my house has the most so I win.”

“No being a dark wizard isn’t a good thing.”

“Says you.”

“You’re infuriating!”

“Coming from an expert I’ll take that as compliment.”

I huffed. I was going to retort with some amazingly clever put down (trust me) but I didn’t as I looked around and realised that there was no students in the halls.

Carmilla must have noticed too as she remained quiet and looked around and down hallways when we passed intersecting corridors. 

We walked down and down further, wordlessly thinking going to the next class probably wasn’t the best idea. 

The entire school, except us it seemed, erupted from the Great Hall as we got down there. Had we missed some assembly. 

“Laura!” 

I looked around for the source of the call in the crowd and saw Perry waving and pointing outside. She was with Laf and Danny. I lost them almost as soon as I saw them in the tumult of the crowd. 

“You want to join them don’t you?” Carmilla said, sounding upset at the prospect.

“Yeah, don’t you want to find out what’s going on?”

“Not really. It doesn’t affect me.” 

“So you won’t come with me?”

“I will I just want you to know it’s under protest.”

We snaked our way through the bustle of studio to the grand door which lead to the grounds and slipped out into the courtyard. It was already filling up of those who had chosen to go outside. 

“Oh shit,” I swore remembering something. “I may have told my friends about us…” 

“So?”

“Oh, ok, I thought you might care.”

“Why would I?” She asked genuinely unsure. “I know what we’ve done why would it bother me?”

“Fair enough.”

I lead her over the courtyard and into the grassy hills and outcrops that made up the grounds up to the Quidditch field… Or pitch… I probably should know that. My friends and I had hung out at the same spot since we first became friends in the first year. 

“Hey,” I said with a wave as we joined them. “Oh this is Carmilla by the way.”

Everyone said hello, she didn’t say it back just made a low noise of acknowledgement in the back of her throat.

“What’s happening?” I asked as I sat on the grass and Carmilla sat next to me. Except much more gracefully than I did. 

“More bad news…”

“Obviously,” Carmilla muttered under her breath, I think only I could hear her but still. It was rude.

“Which would be?” I asked.

“Three aurors have been killed in Northern Ireland,” Perry told us.

Oh no. Though what had I expected truly.

“The Ministry of Magic has finally confirmed these are linked attacks and put out some proclamation that everyone wants to practice caution at all times,” Laf elaborated. 

“What does that even mean?” Danny said, she had been playing with grass, tearing it up and fiddling with it. 

“The definition of those words when put in the order they were just spoken,” Carmilla said flatly.

“What’s your problem?” 

“Grass stains right now,” Carmilla said absent mindedly.

“Excuse me?”

“Black robes, green grass; stains,” Carmilla explained slowly being patronizing. 

“Really? That’s what you’re worried about after hearing of ANOTHER attack?” Danny was getting annoyed.

“Didn’t I just explain that I was?” Carmilla replied. I saw the hint of a smirk flash over her lips. 

“This is why I’m not friends with anyone in Slytherin,” Danny huffed throwing the handful of grass she had over the floor. 

“Danny!” Perry slapped her arm in chastisement. “Be polite.”

“Why? She’s not!”

“That’s the problem you Gryffindor types, you’re always looking for a reason to see the bad in people,” Carmilla shot back, “that way you can be brave by standing up to some imagined evil.”

The way she said ‘brave,’ made it sound like the dirtiest word ever spoken. 

One thing that was true about Hufflepuffs, not to stereotype, yet Hufflepuff’s didn’t tend to seek out conflict and this was making me uncomfortable. 

“You’ve been here a few months and you’re going to tell me what houses are like?” Danny spluttered, she was getting clearly angry whereas Carmilla was poised, collected and not even looking at Danny. “Are you serious?”

“I’ve been here a few months and you want to classify me as typical of my house?” Carmilla laughed. It was a hollow laugh, but seemed calculated to be insulting.

Danny was my friend… Carmilla was my… Something. So this was difficult, but I really saw my… Something’s side over my friend. 

Danny was being combative. For no reason. Maybe Gryffindors were trying to find a fight just to prove themselves in it. I had always found people from her house to be overly eager to get into things.

“Whatever,” Danny sulked.

That wasn’t much of a point or a comeback…

“So…” I tried to steer the conversation away from the awkward fight. “What’s happening then?”

“After the half term break or rather during the break they’re going to implement some security precautions past just having some aurors strolling about,” Perry said, glad that we’d moved on from bickering.

“Where were you two when it was happening?” Laf asked a smile playing over their lips.

“Have a guess,” Danny murmured. 

“In Divinations… No one told us we had an assembly,” I tried to explain.

We could have decided to leave after 5 to 10 minutes of waiting, instead of doing other things.

“The prefects and teachers were rushing around gathering everyone up.”

“Didn’t see or hear anything,” I admitted. That was true. “We can’t be the only people who missed it.”

“A handful of people were missing but whatever.”

“Mostly from a certain house,” Danny piped up.

“So…” Perry interrupted to stop another fight happening again. “Staying or going for the half term break? I’m staying.”

“Staying,” Danny said.

“Same,” Laf added.

“Leaving,” I told them. 

Carmilla didn’t offer anything up.

“You’re leaving L? You always leave for holidays!” 

“My dad is lonely, so I go see him… I’m being a good daughter!”

“And you want to watch Doctor Who Dvds?” Laf added with a smirk.

I held my forefinger and thumb half an inch apart and smiled a little embarrassed.

“I didn’t understand half of that sentence,” Perry told us. Danny and Carmilla also didn’t seem to understand. It was hard explaining basic standard muggle things to pure blooded wizards and witches. 

“If I give you my flash drive would you be able torrent some mp3s for me and download them then upload them on the usb?” Laf asked with a mischievous grin. 

I had to giggle at that, it was a fun game to play between us using terms we knew the others had no clue about. 

“Well I have a removable hard drive if you want me to burn any…” I started before Danny groaned really loudly. 

“Oh shut up!”

“I have to agree with the giant of Gryffindor,” Carmilla said. 

Oh look a bonding moment! 

Classes had been cancelled for the day and we stopped messing around to practice some work that were building up for the O.W.Ls. It was becoming a lot harder. Only last year an afternoon off could have meant frolicking in the sun but now it was important to try to work.

Everyone had to practice their shield spells for Defence Against the Dark Arts. There were five of us who had the same homework so it made sense to use the fact we were already outside. 

I wasn’t sure Danny and Carmilla should be trying to hex each other after their less than friendly first conversation. 

“Salvio hexia,” I said focusing hard holding up one hand in front of me and making the snaking motion with my wand hand. A light haze came out of my wand and I rocked my head side to side in satisfaction as the haze surrounded me. Perry’s hex bounced off it with a zapping noise. 

Yes! I was definitely getting better. I always doubted my magical abilities and felt even when I did well it was just chance but hey, I got that first time. My leg lock curse was weakened but still hit Perry through her shield.

Danny sent three heavy curses at Carmilla’s shield. They probably shouldn’t have volunteered to face each other… 

The curses bounced off harmlessly. Carmilla was definitely trying to be frustrating by acting like was barely bothered by the incoming attacks. Looking off into the Forbidden Forest instead of watching the curses coming in.

“Done?” Carmilla asked lazily with a smirk. “Ok your turn.”

“Salvio Hexia!” Danny yelled way too loud letting a huge shuddering mist surround her and solidify.

“Strangulatus!” Carmilla sent a nasty looking grey and black wind at Danny which broke through and Danny dropped her wand and doubled over looking like she was being sick.

She held her throat and choked up silently and fell down to her knees. We all ran over to her and tried to help her. After a moment of her turning purple and convulsing she drew a raspy, deep breath. Sucking in as much air as possible.

“What the fuck,” she coughed out.

“You need to work harder,” Carmilla commented dryly. “Your curses stink and your shield is shit.”

“What was that spell?” Perry asked concerned knelt down next to Danny.

“That was dark magic,” Danny spat rubbing her throat.

“No shit,” Carmilla smirked. I felt the need to shuffle over to her as Perry and Lafontaine had gone to stand with Danny, she looked isolated. 

“Slytherin,” Danny spat again through gritted teeth.

“What were the curses you shot at me?” Carmilla asked. “Were they intended to be nice?”

“Whatever,” Danny stood up and stormed off with the others leaving with her. Laf throwing me a sympathetic shrug.

“What did you do to her?” I asked. She was in the right, Danny had tried to curse her and had tried hard to hit her with three different attempts in quick succession. Then had failed to block the incoming curse. 

“Cursed her…”

“Obviously, but with what?” 

“Why want to try it?” She smirked at me.

“Sure, I’m always looking to learn!”

“Really?”

“Yeah I remember sectumsempra,” I told her proudly. 

“I wouldn’t recommend using that unless you really need to… But ok, ‘strangulatus,” is a curse which makes the victim expel all the oxygen from their lungs.”

I repeated the word over and over nodding my head up and down with each repetition until I got it and smiled up widely at Carmilla who shook her head at me. 

Having successfully got the defensive spell correct we lay back on the grass. She lay back with her hands propping her up and I lay on my back resting my head on her legs. 

She began, soothingly, running her hands through my hair. It was really nice. She was nice that nonsense with Danny was completely created by Danny being unnecessarily provocative.

It was a lovely afternoon all in all. The Divinations class to ourselves and now the lesson free afternoon enjoying the school grounds. 

“What are you doing for the half term break?”

“Going to London.”

“Oh right… I live near London,” I said none too subtly.

“That’s nice for you.”

“So…”

“Hmm?” 

“You know what I’m getting at.”

“I do but it’s funny watching you squirm,” she teased. I leaned my head back on her lap to look up at her face and stick my tongue out at her.

“So…”

“You want to go do some annoying muggle things don’t you?”

“I certainly do.”

“Fine, but only ‘cause I like you.”

“Cinemas are where muggles go on dates,” I told her trying to sell it.

“Oh, so you’re asking me on a date?”

My cheek burnt red with embarrassment as I just made a noise of confirmation.

“Fine.”

“Hooray!”

“Don’t make me change my mind.”

“Where do you live in London?”

“In the middle bit.”

“Great.”

“Just shut up and enjoy our afternoon off. Even you might enjoy not talking incessantly for once.”

It was a nice afternoon, attempted murder and arguments aside. Just lying back on Carmilla’s legs as she played with my hair, it felt calming and intimate. Plus I was pretty giddy and excited that when half term rolled around I could do something outside school with her.

Perhaps I should be somewhat worried that there was some sort of terror attack going on. Though the idea of a muggle world date was more exciting than that. Without having to worry about the gossip and rumour mill which was school life.

When we left for the afternoon in the courtyard walking back into the entracehall Carmilla grabbed me by the crook of my elbow and pulled me into an enclave to kiss me passionately before we entered the school.

She just did her disappearing act as we crossed the threshold and I walked off to dinner, my brain all foggy and happy.

I slinked into my usual place at the Hufflepuff table without really thinking, my mind elsewhere in a nicer place.

“L! L!” Laf clicked their fingers at me.

“What? Huh? What’s going on?” I asked snapped out of my daze. “Hey guys,” I smiled trying to cover myself for not paying attention. 

“Aren’t you going to apologise?” Danny demanded angrily.

“For?”

“Setting your girlfriend on me?”

“She’s not… Well anyway I didn’t! You were trying to jinx her!” I spluttered taken aback. Even though it had only been a couple of hours I’d kinda forgotten what had happened, it was wiped out by the pleasant afternoon after that.

“Not with dark magic!”

“You’re alright aren’t you?” 

“Yeah but… It was literally the worst thing that ever happened to me!” Danny continued. “It felt like my lungs were throwing up fire.”

“Ok… Well first that isn’t my fault and second you did provoke her,” I reasoned. 

“How?!”

“Well you know, you were rude and confrontational and then you tried really hard to hurt her first,” I explained.

“I think you’re blinded by a rose tinted view.”

“It was a bit much Laura,” Perry said.

I couldn’t believe this! I was sure Danny was in the wrong. Definitely. 

“You’re being unreasonable!” I squeaked with indignation. 

“She tried to kill me and I’m being… Unbelievable!” 

“She didn’t don’t be stupid.”

“Now I’m stupid,” Danny said with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah you are,” I nodded with certainty. “Why did you start a fight? Throwing accusations? Why are you so unhappy with her?”

“She’s a Slytherin! It’s not that you’re apparently into girls now or anything but a Slytherin girl!.”

I went a little pink at that but didn’t deny it. 

“That’s prejudice!” 

“It makes sense can you name one other decent human being from that house?”

“Professor Slughorn…”

“Well… Ok another one then.”

“Jesus,” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I had a great time with her after you left and I don’t want to sour that memory with you berating me. Sorry she’s a more powerful witch than you and that hurts your Gryffindor pride or whatever but screw this!” 

Snatching up my satchel this time I stormed out of the great hall. I was still in a terrible mood when I got back to my dormitory. I stopped off at the kitchens and weaselled myself some scones from the house elves.

I really should eat less sugar… I just sulked in my room for the rest of the day angry that Danny tried to rob me of what was a lovely day with her attitude and accusations.

Skipping breakfast and avoiding my friends for the rest of week should have sent a message! Or they would have decided they doubly hated me. I didn’t tell Carmilla in our shared classes that I was pissed off at my mates.

Actually I didn’t really think about them when I was with her. I was happy being with her instead, besides after this week there was one more and it was half term.

Which was so much fun to look forward to. Seeing my dad was always nice. Being able to use some technology and most of all going to the cinema.

Avoiding my friends was turning out for the best. I had so much work to get done, just essay after essay and practical testings of Transfiguration spells. It was getting almost too much but I wanted to get it done so my half term was for me and not school work.

I always wanted to get an owl so I could send messages to my dad and… To any other friends I might make in the future… Perhaps I could get a pen pal! From some undisclosed location. So owl shopping was another half term plan. 

When I had to finally see my so called chums it was Laf in potions.

“Are you being grumpy again L?” Was their opening gambit.

“No!” I said in the most grumpy voice I had ever spoken in.

“Don’t be mad at me I didn’t do anything!”

“Well! No actually I suppose you didn’t, but you kinda come as a package deal with the other two and they did do something.”

“I’m not getting involved…” They explained. “I see both sides…”

“Right…”

“So we’re cool?”

“Yeah we’re cool,” I said with a smile.

“Good because I do need you to put some stuff on my usb drive,” they said with a cheeky smile passing it over to me. 

“Give me the list.”

“Thanks.”

The weekend and most of the next week passed without incident. We were given further scarier warnings about personal safety if we were going home for the week long holiday. It was a week!

How much could one person get murdered realistically in a week. If it were a three week holiday or summer… Now that’s a lot of time to be murdered. 

I packed a small bag for the half term break. I had meticulously pushed out hours in the library, at least six, trying to get all my essays and assignments completed.

There was some to do at home but I could type it up and then print it off and see and hope that my professors accepted Word documents as valid. 

Laf was the only one of my friends I said goodbye too. If it were a longer break then I would make an effort to make some amends or reconciliation but it was only a week so screw ‘em.

In my normal clothes I sat down on the train and hoped Carmilla would find me on the Friday afternoon. We would get into King’s Cross around 8 in the evening which was rush hour which would put my dad in a horrendous mood but I’d worry about that when it came. 

She did find me. Wearing her muggle clothes; which seemed to be themed on a black, semi-goth style.

“So… How, where and when… Erm. When and where… Yeah that’s the right way round,” I flubbed getting a bit flustered. “Do. You. Want. To. Meet and that?”

“King’s Cross I guess.”

“When?” I asked my voice going really high at the end. 

“When is good for you?”

“Tuesday?” My voice even higher.

“Fine. Midday then?”

“That’s great! How will we confirm or anything?”

“Do you have an owl?”

“No I’m going to get one. Do you have a mobile?”

“A mobile what?”

“Nevermind, I’ll meet you by Starbucks then at midday.”


	6. s ixx x

“London again?! That’s three trips in a week!” My dad complained to me. 

“I’m meeting a friend, plus I need to get an owl.”

“Why… What? Sorry? An owl did I hear that right?” My dad frowned at me, “aren’t your exams called owls?”

“They are but I need an owl.”

“Like the animal?”

“Like the animal dad,” I smiled.

“Why?”

“They deliver post. So we can message each other when I’m at school,” I explained. 

“That seems… Well ok, who am I to question something like that.”

My dad washed up while I retreated to my room to watch Doctor Who… Don’t judge me. It was so nice just lie in bed on my side and watch my laptop for hours until I fell asleep… Then woke up in the middle of the night to turn it off. 

By the time Tuesday morning came I was all excited and happy. I got dressed maybe three or four times deciding on an outfit. Ok fine! Like seven or eight times. I settled on the same quilted patchwork dress and converse I wore to Hogsmeade.

“You look nice today, who is this you are meeting?” My dad asked as he waited down in the hallway to drive me up to the train station. “Is it a boy?”

“No! It’s a girl.”

“Oh ok, I didn’t want to have to give you ‘the talk,’” he said.

I shuddered at the thought of him doing such a thing. Ewww, awkwardness. 

We got to the train station and my dad pushed some money in my hands. 

“Thanks dad!” 

“It’s ok, are you going to come back with an owl?” He asked concerned.

“Maybe…” I smiled at him hoping to diffuse his tension. 

“Ok, well be safe, be careful.”

I kissed him on the cheek and hopped out of the car. My purse was rattling around as I pushed the muggle money into it. Wow a £100 that was a lot. I also had all my wizarding money. 

That had never been a problem. My mother had left a lot of her money to me when she passed on. The confusing pile of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts in some scary vault in Gringotts had been used for books and robes and cauldrons. That sort of thing. 

I wonder what the exchange rate is? Is there an exchange rate? Or like a bureau de magichange? 

“Young lady?!” The man at the train station’s ticket booth looked at me curiously.

Had I dozed off into a daydream while I was talking to someone. Oops. 

“Sorry one return to London please?”

“Just London or somewhere specific?”

“London?” I repeated confused. He looked at me like I was simple as he printed off a ticket and passed it over. 

The problem with living in a small village was travel. I couldn’t wait until next year when I could learn to apparate and use magic outside of school. 

It wasn’t the same as when I had magicked things about as a kid. Making the cat float. It still made me laugh at the memory of it flying over the living room while looking just bored and annoyed. 

Now I had to wait! 

It was always spooky getting on an empty train. Though I do live in a castle for two thirds of the year. Still empty train. Ahhhh.

Arriving in London was always exciting, it felt more so since I found out there was a magical world weaved into the streets hidden from the vast majority of the populace. I was staring out the window as the huge buildings came ever closer.

Snapping out of it I looked around to make sure no one had seen me with a slack jaw looking in wonder at buildings. No one saw that so it’s fine! Hooray.

When I got off the underground at King’s Cross I checked the giant clock on the tower of the building.

11:00

I may have been a tad too eager to get there early. I pulled out my phone and checked it. Nothing. Not that there would be anything… As Carmilla didn’t have a phone… Why didn’t I write down my number so she could call from a payphone? 

I found the Starbucks. It was a terrible place to meet. There were three in a hundred metre space. 

Already I was worrying I would look like an idiot walking between all three trying to make sure I had picked the right one. She wouldn’t be hard to miss. Not many people wore all black and… Well looked like her.

“Hot chocolate please!” I asked the young lady at Starbucks who just nodded and set off the machine whirring.

I handed over some coins and got a weird look as the server saw the strange looking wizard coins mingled with the regular ones. 

Scrolling through my phone not looking at anything while looking up to see if she had arrived every two to three seconds made the time pass slowly. 

In my excitement waiting for today I had forgotten to check what movies were on. I kicked myself.

If I was taking someone to the cinema for the first time, to see their very first film I probably should have given it some thought. Especially if I was using it as a way to impressive her a bit. Just a little.

Quite a lot.

“What is it with you and all these muggles?” Carmilla asked sitting down next to me appearing out of nowhere and making me jump and spill some of my drink over my hand. “With those things?”

“It’s a phone… And hey!” I smiled and waved. Like a mentalist considering we were so close at the same table. 

She was wearing all black as always with a leather jacket. She had straightened her hair. I wanted to reach out and run my fingers through it… But that would be strange so I didn’t.

“Hi,” she replied looking around the station not looking very impressed. 

“Do you want a coffee?” I offered. 

“I guess…” She was rooting around in her pocket and drew out a huge wad of cash.

“Wow… That’s a lot,” I whistled. 

“Is it? I don’t really know; who’s this old woman?”

“What? Oh the Queen are you serious she’s on all the money?”

“The Queen…”

“...Of England, she’s like the most famous person in the world, or the Pope,” I told her.

She just looked back at me blankly without any flash of recognition. 

“Look nevermind, there’s only so much time in a day, put that away I’ll get it for you,” I stood up and went and got her a cup of black coffee. When I got back she was drinking my hot chocolate.

“This is too sweet.”

“Then why did you have so much?!” I asked offended looking at how much had gone. 

“Meh,” she shrugged taking the drink I’d got her.

“So… Do you want to see the new Star Wars or the new James Bond?” I asked scrolling through the afternoon listings of closest theatre. 

“I… I have no idea.”

“Well James Bond is like an auror but has a gun and he fights for good but secretly…”

“I hope it isn’t as terrible as that explanation.”

“It isn’t. Star Wars… Well come on, Star Wars,” I emphasised. She just gave me a blank look once more. “Star Wars!”

“Just saying ‘Star Wars,’ at me isn’t going to help me understand,” she drawled.

“It’s… Well Star Wars,” I was flustered it was hard to explain. How had anyone not heard of it. Though the title of film now made no sense after the repetition. 

“The other one then,” she said shaking her head at me with a smirk. 

“I think I’ve confused myself.”

“How have they let you have a wand?”

“Well I don’t have one now.”

“Really? I always carry mine.”

“We can’t use magic though.”

“Yeah unless in self-defense, so might as well have it, just in case.”

Huh. That made sense. Though I didn’t want to carry around what was essentially a useless stick. 

“So, whatcya wanna do?” 

“You invited me out. Don’t you have any plans? Wait, I thought we were going to watch this thing?”

“Yeah but it doesn’t start until two.”

“You have to go at a specific time? Wow. I don’t have high hopes.”

“Try to,” I insisted. “Also I want to buy an owl.”

“Well we’ll need to go to Diagon Alley… So cinema then that? Back to normality.”

“This is normality,” I gestured through the window at the people bustling around King’s Cross St. Pancras. “The place without electricity and computers is not normal.”

“Says you.”

“Yeah I don’t get why the Wizarding world hasn’t bothering taking on some the useful muggle stuff.”

“Because it’s shit.”

“It’s not.. I don’t want to argue,” I told her. “Let’s get the tube and have a walk about. Sight see!” 

She just grumbled and stood up with me leaving the coffee shop and heading into the crowd to the underground. I had to put her ticket in the machine for her as she scowled at the sliding doors.

Down on the platform we had to run for the train and jump in before the doors closed on us. 

“This is stupid.”

“Do you like anything from the muggle world?” I asked exasperated. “Or are you putting it on a tiny bit?”

She went to speak but had to stop to stifle a clear laugh. 

“Shut up,” she mumbled as I nudged her shoulder with my shoulder playfully. She just looked down shaking her head looking at the floor of the carriage smiling while trying not to.

“So where are we headed?” she asked. 

“Leicester square.”

“Is that where the cinema is?”

She made the word cinema sound like it was in ancient Greek.

“I don’t even know where to start with that.”

“Just assume I know next to nothing about this world apart from what I learnt when I could be bothered to pay attention in Muggle Studies,” she explained.

Some people standing and sitting around us were shooting us funny looks from the odd conversation. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about it here.”

“Why? Who cares if some clueless muggles overhear some shit they don’t understand?” 

“Me…”

“Fine.”

We got off at Leicester Square and she criticised the elevator, then criticised the other people walking around, then the neon signs outside advertising food places. 

“Is there anything you like?”

“Erm… You’re alright I guess.”

“Oh gee thanks.”

It took a moment to fortify myself and build up confidence to reach out and hold her hand. She shut up for once with her constant criticism as she squeezed my hand back. 

We walked into a busy Leicester Square and she looked around at the park and buildings and I think she might have genuinely been impressed. It was a tourist hotspot as well as being world famous.

We walked around the shops and the area down to Trafalgar Square and I tried to explain who Lord Nelson was but she wasn’t the interested. The National Portrait gallery impressed her though. 

She even said that she would have actually been interested in looking at the muggle art but had to add that it would have been a much better plan than watching some stupid movie. 

Looping back around we got to the cinema and I bought us both tickets for the bond film. Spectre. 

“I’m going to personally blame you if this is the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”

“He hurts people, you like that don’t you?” I asked jokingly. She smirked. 

Carmilla bought us popcorn and colas on my recommendation. We took our seat in the huge cinema screen. It was probably the best cinema in the country to watch your first film on.

It wasn’t that busy either. An early afternoon showing on Tuesday. 

I was sure I could hear sighing and grumbling under her breath during the previews. Though when the action started and there were gunfights and helicopters and car chases she shut up and watched it.

Was I supposed to yawn and stretch out and put my arm around her shoulders? That was a thing people did on dates didn’t they? 

“Yawn!” I said out loud like an idiot as I threw my arm around her shoulder.

She just snuggled into my arm before realising it was uncomfortable and pushed my arm away and threw hers over me. That felt better. More right.

I nuzzled my head into her arm and could feel her chest rising and falling under my face. I wasn’t really watching the movie. It wasn’t the hardest thing to follow though.

My heart was beating a little faster than normal. I calmed down after a while and let her reach into the bucket of popcorn I had resting on my lap and let her eat from it.

It felt like a movie date from a movie! Not this movie but another movie where people went on dates… At the movies… Whatever, this was really nice.

“So what did you think?” I asked as Bond defeated all the evil and won! Hooray! I guess I didn’t pay that much attention.

“It was ok I guess. I can’t see why people waste time doing that.”

“As opposed to doing what?” I asked interested in what her idea of a date would be.

“Yeah fair enough. It was good fun.”

“There you go!” I beamed at her linking my hand with her’s as we walked out into Leicester Square.

“For some reason I expected it to be night time,” she commented as we went blinking into the sun. 

“Yeah that’s what normally happens when you go to the cinema.”

“Well let’s not make it a regular thing.”

“Stop being so grumpy. Admit you enjoyed it.”

“I did!” Her voice going up at the end like mine usually did. 

“Wanna grab some food?”

“I want to eat some food. Let’s go to Diagon Alley and…”

“Nooooope, like you said it was my idea for a date, so I get to choose where we eat.”

“Ok.”

I pulled out my phone and googled places to eat around where we were. There were lots of places, obviously, but I wanted to get a good reviewed place. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” She asked peering across my body, still holding hands, to look at the screen.

“I’m looking up reviews of local restaurants.”

“You can do that on that?!”

“You sound impressed for once.”

“No,” Carmilla said unconvincingly.

She was still staring over my body looking at the phone as I scrolled down the touch screen. 

“Okie dokie! There’s a pizza place nearby which people like, I’ll put it in maps and get directions.”

“It does that too?” She asked. “Maybe I should get one… Though when I can use magic outside school what would be the point.”

“Well you can’t send out spells in a place like this.”

“Can I see that?” She asked ignoring me taking the phone without waiting for a reply. “So we are the blue dot?”

“Yup.”

“Ok, so it moves as we move?”

It was kind of adorable explaining what was basic and taken for granted technology while she tried to stay composed and not enchanted. 

“We’re here!” She said happily handing the phone back. “I thought those things were used for talking to other muggles?”

“Yeah but they do loads more, you can put thousands of songs on them and take pictures and surf the internet,” I told her. Really glad she was finally showing an interest. 

We sat outside of a little Italian restaurant and I ordered us a pizza to share, because you know, that’s coupley and sweet! While I showed her how to use a phone. 

“Here,” I said taking my phone back and holding it up and opening the camera and holding it up and putting on the self-portrait function on. 

It was adorable to see her look a little confused as both of our faces appeared on the screen. She even waved to make sure it was a camera. Wizards and witches for some reason still used old shutter cameras with the magnesium and exploding flash.

That was mental.

She actually smiled for a picture. Then another smile! She took the phone from me and held it up and with her free hand pulled me to face her and kissed me.  
I couldn’t enjoy the kiss as she was immediately going back to looking at the screen to admire the photograph.

“Ok fine, movies are alright, this is pretty cool.”

“You can watch movies on the phone.”

“What the same size as the movie we just watched?”

“What?” I laughed. “No obviously not! The size of the screen.”

“Oh, still that’s pretty good.”

“Look at you! All your cynicism and moody comments are blown out of the water by your first introduction to muggle tech,” I joked.

“Don’t push it.”

“You’re like a cave person brought to the future!” 

“It’s… Nevermind.”

“No what?”

“It’s like magic… Oh god I hate myself for saying that.”

“Don’t worry it’s just you having an honest moment,” I beamed broadly at her getting an annoyed huff. 

Had our roles reversed? I guess out in the real world, no not real world, the other world. She didn’t have her wand and advanced magic and deeper knowledge. Now it’s my turn! Except my phone can’t shoot out spells… Maybe the iPhone 12 will have that feature.

We ate pizza and I was shocked to find out she had never had pizza before. It was so strange to try to work out what had made it to the wizarding world and what hadn’t.

Is pizza a modern food so didn’t break the time lock the wizard world seemed to operate under?

Would Italian wizards eat it? I had no idea.

“I’ll get this,” she offered pulling out her massive wad of cash when the bill came. “What do these notes… What are they?” It was cute to see her holding up the money at me looking puzzled.

“You see the numbers on the top?” I asked being really sarcastic, “that’s how much they’re worth.”

“Fuck off,” she mumbled with a small smile as she threw down two twenty pound notes. 

“So off to Diagon alley?”

“Yeah… Yeah… Look don’t mock me for this but can we use a car?” She asked like a little child.

“Sorry?”

“I’ve never used a car.”

“That’s a weird way of putting it.”

“Huh?”

“Used a car… Yeah we can get a taxi, but they cost way more than the underground.”

“I don’t care.”

“Ok,” I had to smile yet again. This was so charming! She was like a kid in a candy shop.

I flagged over a black cab and got in the back after letting her in first.

“What a lady,” she tried to quip but was clearly taken aback by the experience.

“Where to?” The cockney man driving asked.

“Charing Cross Road,” I requested.

“That’s pretty bloody lazy! We’re less than ten minutes away! You’re lucky I can’t turn down a couple of beautiful girls,” he said. 

Yuck.

When the engine revved up under us Carmilla jumped a bit and actually held onto the handrail as we moved. 

She paid giving him way too much for the fare but I didn’t want to argue about money in front of the driver.

“That was pretty entertaining,” she nodded getting out as we went to the Leaky Cauldron. 

“You know…”

“Don’t!”

“What?”

“Tell me how funny and amusing it is to you that I’m enamored all of a sudden at things I was rude about for ages.”

“I’m going to,” I told her flatly really trying not to crack a grin.

She grumbled and stalked off forward taking out of wand as she got to the special wall which opened the portal to Diagon Alley.

“Here’s a question,” she said turning to me as she tapped the combination on the bricks to open up the wall. “If you didn’t bring your wand how were you going to get into Diagon Alley?”

I opened my mouth and shut it again. Dammit, lost the old upper hand pretty quickly didn’t I?

It always freaked me out just a little to walk into a street bustling with people in cloaks and animals and flying things after getting out of a London Black cab.

“So… Owls?” Carmilla said. She seemed to have got some of composure and swagger back having re entered the magical realm and shrugged off the childlike wonder she had.

Still though, I wouldn’t be forgetting how excitable and easily impressed she had been at things I had just taken for granted.

“Yup.”

We wandered off to the North side of Diagon Alley to the Magical Menagerie, it was so loud inside. Just cramped and full of animals in cages. It was lucky that PETA didn’t exist in this world. 

Though having been bitten and burnt by a blast ended skrewt I wasn’t as sympathetic towards magical animals as perhaps I should have been. 

A very messy looking man in clothes covered in shit and holes from claws came out with a smile. He had missing teeth. Which looked like they may have been broken by his charges.

“Hello, hello, hello, welcome, browsing or buying?” He greeted us.

“I was looking for an owl,” I told the shopkeeper. I glanced around the shop. 

Carmilla had walked off and was eyeing a sleek, black cat because of course she was. It was a bit sweet seeing her play with a kitten. 

“Well we have many owls what are you looking for?”

“I don’t really know, I need it to go from Kent to Hogwarts.”

“Any owl will do that, regardless of size. Though getting a small owl would mean you couldn’t send post abroad.”

“I don’t think I’ll be doing that…” I pondered the thought, “if I’m sending messages abroad I can use my phone.”

That received a blank stare.

He showed me an assortment of owls but I had my heart set on a little Scops owl the second I saw it. It had grey and white feathers and warm yellow eyes. I pretended to pay attention to the other’s he showed me but I had made my mind up.

“I kind of want that one,” I pointed to the tiny, adorable Scops owl. He smiled knowingly at me and pulled the cage out of the rack and took it to the desk at the front.

I hadn’t noticed the cashier desk at first as it was covered in animal food and papers. I handed over the 12 galleons and took the cage and held it up to look at the owl fluttering around on its perch.

It hooted happily at me. I was already in love. 

“Erm… Is it a boy or a girl?” I asked looking around the cage.

“Boy.”

“Ok…”

Would it be embarrassing and geeky to call it Archimedes after the owl in the Disney film Sword in the Stone? Well I think I was going to so it didn’t matter that much if it was or not. 

“Carm?” I called looking over at her. “I’ve got my owl.”

“Right… I think I’m going to get this kitten.”

“Seriously?”

“What? I like cats,” she said in a sing song voice as she reached into the kitten’s cage and stroked its little furry head as it mewled with delight. 

“Excellent choice!” The shopkeeper sprung to action. 

We left the Magical Menagerie a few minutes later each with a cage of our own.

“You know that your whole mysterious persona of the brooding Slytherin who hurts her fellow students and is impressed by nothing has been completely shattered today?” I told her with a grin.

“Only to you.”

“Still.”

“How can you mock me when there’s this little fella here,” she brandished the kitten at me. “Would it be terrible to call him Voldemort?”

“Yes it really would be.”

“Huh… I’ll give it some thought… What about your stupid little midget owl?”

“I was thinking Archimedes.”

No need to explain where the name came from. 

“I’m not going to ask,” she shook her head. How could she disapprove if she didn’t know what she was disapproving about? 

“What about Meowth?” I suggested. It would be great if she did use that and then I could reveal the origin much later on.

“No.”

“Salem?”

“Actually yeah, that’s really good,” she didn’t look like she was paying attention to me much. Instead playing with her new kitten through the bars. “Little Salem,” she said dreamily.

“Adorable.”

“He is isn’t he?!” She turned and gave me a look of such pleasure it was heart warming. “Wait, where did the name come from?” She eyed me suspiciously.

“It’s a place in America where they burnt people alive… Oh and I think a horror book about vampires.”

She nodded appreciatively turning back to Salem while I mouthed; ‘and the cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch.’ 

We went to the Leaky Cauldron and got a butterbeer. It was probably a terrible idea to drink a load of sugar and get a sugar high right at the end of the date and then have a crash on the train home.

On the train… With an owl. I’d worry about that later.

“You’ve lost interest in me haven’t you?” I asked jokingly as she let Salem out of his cage and had been curled up in her lap already sleeping and happy with her. 

“Huh?” 

“Nevermind.”

“Sorry,” she finally snapped away from her new kitten and reached over the table to hold my hand. “I’ve had a great day you know?”

“Because of the kitty cat?”

“No. Well yes. You mostly,” she said with a stroke of her hand over mine. 

“I did too, it was nice to see you out of your natural habitat.”

“Don’t mock me when I’m being sweet!”

“Welcome to my life,” I teased. 

I had a complete sugar high and wanted to jump and dance around from the ridiculous amount of sweetness that was in butterbeer. My new owl was hooting lightly in the cage, I was hoping he would go to sleep on the train. God how am I going to take it on a train!

Did not think this through…

“So, I kind of have to get home… Last train and everything,” I explained bashfully. Not wanting the day to end.

“Fair enough, don’t look all sad now cutie we’ll see each other on Sunday… It’s like half a week.”

“Just had fun today,” I told her. 

She put down her kitten cage breaking eye contact with it for a second before stepping towards me and taking my hand and tugging me.

I took the encouragement to close the distance between us after I carefully put down Archimedes. 

I put my now free in her other hand and raised it up to splay her fingers apart and held our hands together up at shoulder height.

We were so close now, I could smell her hair and feel her clothes lightly brushing against the front of my dress. 

My head slightly tilted to one side hers the other. I shuddered with anticipation as our lips met softly pressing together as I shut my eyes to relish in the moment. 

Eternity swallowed me as we stood in the side alley, wrapped up in each others.

Only when my new owl started hooting like crazy and we broke apart just Salem the kitten started meowing in response to Archimedes. 

We both laughed at what had happened. 

“Right, I guess I need to get a train,” I sighed looking up at her, drinking her features in biting my bottom lip in concentration.

“See you Sunday.”

“At Platform 9 ¾,” I nodded.

“That’s where the train goes from cutie.”

“Ha! You can’t go back to being all snide and clipped, I’ve seen you wowed by a phone and in love with a little kitty cat!” I sang at her clasping my hands behind my back and rocking side to side.

“Shut up,” she huffed but ruined it by looking down at Salem now napping in his cage picking him up.

“Alright, let’s go.”

It was a bit sad splitting up, I had a great day, a very new experience on top of that. It was nice to see a different side of Carmilla and hang out not at school.

Plus I had an owl! Which was nice.

I walked to the major train station, choosing not to get the underground due to the whole carrying an owl thing and found the quietest of all the carriages.

It made me a bit uncomfortable seeing all the people staring at the crazy girl carrying an owl in a cage. 

I should have asked the shopkeeper of the Magical Menagerie if there was some spell he could have done to hide the cage to muggle eyes.

That could have potentially given my dad a heart attack when Archimedes flew out of what appeared to him as an invisible coop. 

The muttering of people pointing at me made the journey go really slowly. I shot my dad a text letting him know I’d be back soon.

He was standing by his car outside of the station in our small Kentish village when I alighted and he looked aghast.

“Hi daddy!” I waved trying to seem nonchalant like I often carried around predatory, nocturnal birds. 

“You did say to be fair…” He said not taking his eyes from the bird.

“Can we get home I look a little crazy.”

“Sure thing, let’s go.”

We didn’t speak about my new pet/mail delivery system in the car. Instead I told him about the James Bond film, which he wanted to see and assuring him I had nice day.

When we did get back and were in the kitchen I went to let my new owl out of its cage for the first time.

It hooted happily and hopped on the kitchen table and then flew up into the air and did somersault mid air.

Awww! Happy owl.

It landed on my shoulder and very lightly pecked at me, hooting and whistling. It was heart meltingly cute. 

“So…” My dad just didn’t know what to do with himself.

“This is Archimedes!” I introduced the owl. I probably should that name a lot so he got used to it. 

“Hello,” my dad said stiffly.

“You’ll have to get used to him daddy, he’ll be the one passing letters between us! We’ll able to communicate when I’m at school!” I rambled out full of energy. 

Unsure of himself he held out his hand to touch Archimedes who nipped his finger lightly and actually hopped back and forth on his feet while resting on my shoulder. Letting my dad stroke his feathers tentatively.

“He’s adorable dad!” 

“I suppose he’s ok.”

My dad became more comfortable with Archimedes as the week went on, I let him fly around the house and the garden, feeding him some cut up pieces of steak now and again.

I used my computer to type two essays for Transfiguration and Potions, it looked alien as I read about mixing powdered griffin claw with crushed salamander in lasered ink.

It was certainly nice to be home and spend time with my father but I was ready to go back to Hogwarts by Sunday morning. 

Well maybe not going back to school, more ready to see a certain brunette.

Speaking of alien things to see, was a nearly abandoned Platform 9 ¾, a lot of people stayed for one week not seeing the value in a half a day train ride for one week off. 

I said my farewells to my father and promised to write, he even said goodbye to Archimedes, stroking his little owly face. 

I came across Carmilla in an empty carriage, it was the same one as we travelled down in. Salem was curled up in a jet black ball sleeping next to her while she was just watching.

“Hey,” I greeted her putting my cage and small travelling bag down.

“Hey.”

Opening the cage door Archimedes hopped down and out and flew up to overhead storage.

The noise woke up the kitten and it looked up at the source of the noise. Just staring silently. Eventually the owl flew down to the seat next to Carmilla and looked at Salem.

“Look they’re making friends!” I squeaked.

“Or Salem is about to eat him.”

“If he does I’ll kill him!”

“Then I’ll kill you.”

After sizing each other up one hooted and the other meowed and went back to sleeping and Archimedes flew up again to perch above us.

“See friends,” I nodded decisively. 

“So I bought a phone,” she told me. 

“Really?” I bounced in my seat with elation. 

“Yeah,” she sighed shaking her head with disappointment in herself. “It’s pretty fun. Once you get things figured out.”

“Hey, good for you buddy,” I beamed reaching out to punch her playfully in the arm. I pulled my own phone out. “Quickly give me your number before we get to school and they stop working.”

“We have hours.”

“JustgivemeyourphonesoIcanhaveyournumber!” 

This was a big deal. 

I snatched the phone from her hand and unlocked it because of course she didn’t have a passcode and added myself.

“I’m your first contact!”

“Apart from your dad who do you have?”

“Laf.”

“And?”

“Shut up,” I mumbled feeling her smirking at me as I punched in my number and phoned myself then saved both in each phone. “Yay!”

“Terrific!” She drawled sarcastically. “Something that will be completely useless until Christmas.”

“But what a Christmas it will be,” I said dreamily. 

The train station, when we got off at school, had men in cloaks standing by the gates. A man and a woman were walking about, patrolling around the edge of the grounds. 

Aurors I supposed.

It made me feel safe right up until they bothered us by checking our bags. Well my bags, Carmilla didn’t have one. They waved us through.

“Gone for a week and everything’s changed,” I commented as we got on the carriage.

“Everything?” She sneered.

“Everything!” I confirmed. 

She walked around to the front of the carriage before departed and stroked the invisible animal pulling it.

“Whatycha doing?”

“Petting the Thestral,” she said nonchalantly hopping into the carriage next to me.

“You can see them? And Thestral?”

“Yes and yes.”

“You’ve gone animal mad in the last week,” I nudged her.

“Maybe I’ve always liked animals. They’re far less annoying than humans.”

“Oh so you’re fawning over your new kitten because humans are so awful? Not because of his little meowy face?”

“Can we drop this?”

“Not for a long, long time.”

We parted ways in the great hall as she went off to the dungeon and I went off to the kitchens; to our respective common rooms. I know I had to take Archimedes to the Owlery but… I didn’t want to part just yet.

Plus if Betty complained I’d point out she shouldn’t have been having sex with boys in our dormitory. 

I’d saved that little gem for a rainy day!

Or a day I wanted to cuddle with an owl on what was actually a relatively nice weather wise.

I snuck into the common room trying to hide my cage which was no easy feat, nor one I accomplished. 

The cage was placed on my small, personal desk and opened it. Archimedes flew out and landed on my yellow pillow and slid down it onto the duvet and started walking around my bed.

It would be sad to take him to the Owlery but I guess I could visit everyday…

Betty didn’t say anything about him when she showed up, she slumped into her bed and was snoring in minutes. I guessed she was drunk and trying to hide it from me. 

The next morning walking down to breakfast I didn’t remember until I was walking through the door that I had been fighting with my friends.

On further reflection during my holiday I had laid the blame completely with Danny being sensitive and anti-Slytherin.

How many people got hurt at this school? Loads was the answer to that question. 

They had a bottle of medicine on hand to regrow bones, that wouldn’t suggest the safest operating environment. 

Plus she didn’t even get hurt! 

Badly.

Things looked different when I entered the hall. Everyone was at their actual table, the houses hadn’t mixed.

I did my cursory check of the Slytherin table to see if a certain person was there though history had taught me she certainly wouldn’t be. 

She wasn’t. 

Of course.

I slid down next to Perry on the Hufflepuff table. She said hello but was distracted staring up at the table.

After a few minutes Professor McGonagall took the lectern.

“Welcome back those who left, I hope you’re refreshed and those who stayed I hope you enjoyed your time relaxing too.”

There were mutterings but the student body was mostly silent. 

“Now as you will have seen the security has doubled at school, and next Monday morning a former student of mine, and head Auror will be here to address you.”

The muttering and gossiping exploded. Everyone knew who that was. The most famous wizard alive. 

“In the meantime, be safe, be vigilant and be calm.”

She left the lectern.

I was interested in that… I did want to talk about it but more importantly I needed to steal some sausages for Archimedes who was still fluttering around my room.

Sausages first, then worrying about the mortal danger we might all be in.


	7. s eVe  NNn

The school was abuzz with the news that some famous wizard was coming. It could be one of several people. A famous auror, a former student of the Headmistress. 

It probably was counterproductive that we, as a collective school body, had been told a celebrity was coming. When the goal was to make us take security seriously dropping a bomb like that was unhelpful.

Especially when there were several particularly gossipy teachers. Well one. 

“You know,” Professor Slughorn bounded into the classroom for our first lesson back after the short break. “I’m excited for one.”

He smiled around the class.

“Do you know who the auror coming is sir?”

“Oh, I may,” he smiled with a knowing look, tapping his finger against his nose.

“Could you tell us sir?”

“That would spoil the surprise!”

“Please sir!”

“Well, well let me say this, though I should warn you I shall say no more than this!” Slughorn was almost vibrating with enjoyment. “He or should I say he or she, was a former student of mine!”

“Sir…”

“No, no I said no more, now Strengthening solution.”

The class didn’t complain just got into note taking as we learnt about a potion I could probably use as a smaller person. If I could drink something and double my strength that would be amazing!

At the end of class we were asked to hand in our holiday homework.

“Miss Hollis… What is that?” Professor Slughorn asked eyeing my essay with suspicion 

“My essay sir.”

“Right,” he said, turning the typed paper over in his hand. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“I used a computer sir.”

“Initiative!” He beamed at me. “Well done Hollis. It takes a lot to impress me after doing this job for...” Slughorn stopped to whistle, “nearly eighty years.”

“Thank you sir.”

It was fine. Hooray. I wiped imaginary sweat from my brow as Laf smirked at me as they waited by the exit way. 

“That was a pretty smart idea,” Laf said.

“I thought so! Plus do you really want to be hand writing with ink and a quill at home?” 

“Good point.”

“I thought it was genius!”

“It wasn’t quite genius.”

It was genius. Pure, unadulterated genius. 

It was getting colder as winter was around the corner. I hadn’t really dressed for the cold weather as I left the castle to walk down to Care of Magical Creatures. 

I probably should have got some gloves and a wooly hat in London when shopping as well as an owl. 

Hagrid was giddy as the class assembled around him. That normally wasn’t a good thing. Normally that meant that something dangerous was about to be paraded in front of us.

Something dangerous and horrifying which Hagrid would fawn over like it was a new puppy.

Maybe scary animals were misunderstood but as I had found out with Blast ended Skrewts a burn from a misunderstanding hurt just as badly as an intentional burn. 

“Right,” Hagrid clapped his hands together. “Right, right, right, we will have unicorns soon but there is a little delay to that.”

All the girls sighed in unison. I had thought before it was a bit of a stereotype to fall into but come on! A unicorn! 

“So with the recent attacks and ministry concern as a teaching staff we’re not making the same mistake as last time. We’re going to show you the danger you may or may not face.”

Truly I suspected that was an excuse to reveal something terrifying. It’s for your own good now pet its poisoned spike tail of doom! Oh lovely why not?

“So follow me into the forest,” he waved us to follow his lead.

The forbidden forest of course what could possibly go wrong in there?! Lots was the answer to that sarcastic rhetorical question. 

We entered a clearing as Hagrid threw a necklace of dead ferrets or stoats over his shoulder. What had happened to me that I was absolutely fine with seeing something like that.

A huge shadow, the size of a horse was moving in the dark ring created by the thick foliage, prowled around. 

Hagrid took one of the dead animals from his necklace and threw it onto the edge of the darkness. 

The shadow moved and my breath hitched and I heard a few people gasping around me as we all fixated on the unknown presence. 

An amber and auburn coloured, feathered head emerged from its hiding place and a powerful yellow beak snatched up the offered food.

It snapped and chewed and swallowed it quickly. 

Wow.

Ok. Maybe I was wrong to presume Hagrid would invite us to pet giant spiders or swim with giant squids. Or do some third thing with some other giant thing I couldn’t think of an example for. 

What could only be described as a horse with an eagle’s face and lustrous wings stalked the clearing.

“This,” Hagrid announced proudly patting its head, “is a Hippogriff. He’s called Stormscream.”

More dead ferrets were thrown to it… Or him. Or Stormscream. Hardly the friendliest name. 

“Now they’re nice creatures but proud, very proud so be careful, don’t blink too much or look shifty.”

That wasn’t the easiest thing to do, if you didn’t want to look shifty trying hard not to be shifty made you look shifty. Shifty. That’s a strange word. 

What other strange words are there? Squash, always thought that was...

Focus on the giant horse eagle monster Laura!

“So… Erm… Laura.”

Oh shit.

“Want to pet ‘im?”

No.

“Ok..”

I shuffled forward almost tripping on the hem of my robe. The Hippogriff stared at me with cool, orange eyes. Don’t blink, don’t blink, don’t blink, don’t trip and don’t blink.

“Now Laura bow.”

“Bow?”

“Like a curtain call.”

Oh that type of bow… As opposed to some other type of bow… Like a ship’s bow! Not the time. I titled at the waist and bowed deeply. I looked up my hair spilling over my eyes as I checked for the response. 

The Hippogriff bowed back lazily.

“Ok you can pet him now!” Hagrid beamed.

I couldn’t think of anything worse. Well maybe petting a giant spider. I shuffled forward again, no stop that, it bowed back it won’t attack you. I moved forward with a bit more confidence. False as it may have been.

Stormscream leaned into my hand and let me run it over his head. He was surprisingly soft and warm under the touch. The Hippogriff shook his mane and made a deep noise inside his throat.

“See fast friends!” Hagrid boomed. “Right he’ll let you ride him now.”

“Wait, what?”

Before I could complain, or really think what was happening I had a giant pair of hands around my waist lifting me off the floor like I was a small child and placing me on the back of the Hippogriff.

I think I could feel my heart exploding in my ears it was beating so hard. What was happening? What, oh, no. Bad thing happening. 

I could feel muscle moving under my thighs as the beast started moving forward with me on its back. On its back, that’s where I was, on the back of a creature I hadn’t known even existed until five minutes ago.

Terrified I looked over at those gathered in the forest clearing. My classmates looked scared on my behalf, Hagrid was beaming with his hands clasped in front his chest.

Moving at speed now I had a curious feeling I may not be attached to the ground anymore. I shut my eyes tightly. The air was blowing hard against my face and I could both feel and hear the heavy beating of the wings.

Was this happening? I could be dreaming. Nightmaring. Having a nightmare… I peeked out of one eye.

Ok no, not a dream.

I closed my eyes again. My hands were buried hard into the feathers of Stormscream I had worried about annoying it by hurting him with my grasp.

Now that worry had evaporated, it seemed like a lesser concern over the newest priority. Not falling to my death and that sort of thing. 

My hair was whipping back. I wish I had been given some warning and I may have used a hairband. Which I didn’t have but… Actually with warning I would have ran away and hid.

Opening my eyes finally I was over the lake. Right. That was a new angle to look at a body of water. Perhaps not worth the risk but still. 

It was becoming more… Not enjoyable… I was able to keep my eyes open though. We were soaring. Well not me, I wasn’t soaring, I was mostly sitting and clinging but hey it was alright.

The castle was amazing from above, I didn’t want to get any closer but wow.

This wasn’t so bad, maybe it was actually enjoyable. It was exhilarating. The castle set on the face of a cliff. The expanse of the forest and small hamlets and Great Lake. Breathtaking. 

As a sight, not just because I was flying with the wind smacking me in the face.

Definitely wasn’t going to fall off. If I hadn’t already then why would I now? 

Was this the time to go ‘weeeee?’

“Wee… Eugh,” I coughed and spluttered as the fast paced wind hit my mouth and sucked all the air from me. 

So no; not the time to go ‘weeee.’ Still, pretty view. 

We circled the lake once more and I could see the mermen jumping from the water. Or merpeople? I didn’t know if political correctness had reached Hogwarts. 

If pens with ink in them already hadn’t got here yet then it was unlikely. Was this me going crazy? My mind just jumping around. 

Returning to the forest as we circled and landed in the clearing. The class actually clapped me. That was pretty fun. Hagrid looked like at me like I was a favourite child as he walked over.

He scooped me off Stormscream and put me down. The ground felt weird under my feet. Could I come back to the world of ground standing after soaring that high?! 

Oh yeah I could. I took several steps.

“20… no 30 points to Hufflepuff!” He boomed. 

The mood of the class went from being impressed to split down house lines as I received the largest amount of house points I’d ever got in one go. 

I turned to see the Hippogriff munching happily away at another dead ferret. Having flown around on his back and not dying and all that he was suddenly much more handsome a creature than before.

I walked back towards him and stroked his mane which he shook and made a deep noise of approval. Raising his head under my touch to accept the stroking. 

Awww. Cute eagle horse monster! Please don’t eat my owl out of the sky now we’re friends. 

“Fast friends!” Hagrid boomed. He normally boomed. So spoke regularly for him. “Now Laura has shown you how to treat these beauties correctly remember don’t wind ‘em up as they have foot long talons.”

And that was my cue to back away very slowly.

Walking back up to the castle I didn’t really see how sitting in a classroom how could really compete with that feeling. I was flying! Literally flying around the school. 

“Guess what I just did?” I bounced over to Carmilla in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

“Flew around the school on a Hippogriff?”

“No I… Yeah, exactly that.”

“I’m a master of guesswork.”

That knocked the wind out of my sails. 

“You flew a Hippogriff Ms Hollis?” Professor Longbottom perked up from his desk.

“Yes sir.”

“I didn’t know Hagrid did that since Buckbeak… When Harry flew him.”

When the class filtered in we were taken into the practice room. There was a large chest with crossed chains over it, as if on command it rumbled.

“Right, who knows what a Boggart is?” Professor Longbottom asked standing by the case as he took off his robe and rolled up his sleeves and undid his tie. 

“A monster.”

“Yes, yes but specifically?”

“It’s a spirit which takes on the form of what you fear,” Carmilla said lazily after no one replied for a few moments. 

“10 points to Slytherin. Now we’ll take it in turns to face it! The spell is…”

Another long pause.

“Riddikulus,” Carmilla sighed, she was checking her nails not paying attention. 

“Take another 5. Right watch me.”

We collectively, as a class, took a few steps back. Professor Longbottom twirled his wand expertly and placed himself 10 feet or so from the crate and pointed his wand at it.

“Alohoroma,” he cast at the crate the chains unlocked and falling to the floor. The lid burst open.

There were gasps as a giant green viper rose from the crate and slithered out onto the floor and snarled and snapped at us all.

“Riddikulus!” The professor said in a loud clear voice. 

The snake became propped up wheels and unable to stop rolled into the wall bumping its head over and over. 

Some people actually laughed as it was levitated back into the crate and the chains refastened themselves.

“See, there we go.”

“Why a snake sir?”

“It’s not a snake, it was Voldemort’s snake; Nagini. I killed it during the Battle of Hogwarts but still I’m scared witless by the thing, by the memory of it.”

“That was that snake?” 

“Indeed it was, less embarrassing than my first boggart form which former headmaster Severus Snape,” Professor Longbottom told us with a small chuckle. “Now remember the spell?”

He made sure everyone nodded or acknowledged him.

“Good line up.”

I was a little too close to the front of the line. I had just flown on a bloody Hippogriff this morning did I really have to do this? 

It would have been a perfect class to write notes about some minor curse not this. I didn’t even know what my biggest fear was… 

The first Slytherin walked up as the crate was unlocked and as what could only described as a zombie clawed its way out.

There was a zombie, a spider, another snake, a mummy another spider and then it was my turn. 

My wand was held tightly in my hand. What looked like an empty, black, rippling cloak rose out at least 7 feet tall. I didn’t recognize what it was but dread rang coldly in my bones.

I took a few steps back my body was freezing. My skeleton felt hollow with ice replacing the blood. All my happiness and joy and sense of anything but despair was gone. 

It felt like my feelings were oil leaking from every pore. 

“Riddikulus,” I said weakly.

The black robe raised a hand, it was wispy and black and not really there while being there.

“Riddikulus!” I repeated with more emphasis taking a couple more steps back. 

The robe turned rainbow coloured and it started flying sideways like a piece of paper caught in the wind. 

Phew.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked, forgetting my language and where I was as normalcy returned to me slowly but surely. 

“It looked like a lethifold but I’ve never seen one,” Professor Longbottom scowled. “Go have a sit down Ms Hollis and continue please class.”

Taking a seat on the floor I rested my head in my hands. Deep breaths. That was horrible, maybe the worst thing that had ever happened to me.

A hand on my shoulder broke me from my state. It was Carmilla looking down at me concerned.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, getting better.”

“Ok. I’ll come over when I’m done.”

I didn’t pay much attention until it was Carmilla’s turn. I was interested to see what her fear was. She didn’t appear to have one.

Yet another spider was being dealt with before her. 

When it was her turn I was kind of shocked at the banality of it. A cloud appeared and darkened and a lightning bolt cracked out of it with a bang. I could see her shudder visibly at it.

“Riddikulus,” she directed her wand at the cloud and a sun burst through and broke the bad weather.

She stalked away from the line and sat down next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. It was probably the most intimate thing we had done in the view of other people but I didn’t care.

Awful. I felt awful. 

When the class was over Professor Longbottom shoved a chocolate bar into my hand telling me it would make me feel a lot better.

It was yummy alright and did help. 

“Have you heard of a lethifold?” I asked Carmilla as we lingered back a bit so we could walk to Divinations together alone.

“Yeah it’s like a Dementor right?”

“Right… Aren’t they banned?”

“Yeah they were expelled after the second Wizarding war. I guess you fear not being happy,” she didn’t sound so sure about that. 

“It wasn’t nice.”

“Well at least they live in the Tropics.”

“Do they?”

“I think so.”

“Are you scared of lightning?” I asked trying to steer the conversation away from that. It was horrendous and I didn’t want to relive it. 

What a day. Flying high one moment then feeling my lowest the next. 

“No.”

“Then why did..”

“No. Shut up.”

“Fine,” I huffed. You are scared of lightning I mouthed to myself. “Want to know what’s its like to ride a Hippogriff?”

“Not particularly.”

“Waaaaaaah!”

“I’m just winding you up.”

“Wah.”

“I know, I know; you’re cute when you’re wound up.”

“I’m not cute when I’m not?” I asked in small voice trying to be annoying now. 

“Not as much.”

“Did you do your dream journal over break?”

“Not really. I was playing with my new phone thingy and my cat.”

“Have you taken a load of pictures of Salem?” I asked in a teasing tone. 

“No,” she snapped quickly, walking a bit faster.

“You definitely did!” I squeaked happily hurrying and catching up with her.

She definitely did. 

Death and destruction and doom and devastation and… Some other bad word beginning with ‘d’ was all that dominated the class. Trelawney getting very animated at the prospect of her students dying. 

Carmilla spent the class jotting down her homework. It wasn’t really my nature to not take homework seriously and cheat the system but I could see her point in this case. 

“I feel a bit shitty today…” I announced after class. “I want to go to bed.”

“Go and rest then, I can play with Salem.”

I had to smile at that. Just remembering how adorable it was seeing her play with the kitty. 

“I do need to go visit Archimedes and send a letter to my daddy tom..”

“Daddy?”

“Dad, father, my father,” I corrected hurriedly a little embarrassed that I’d let that slip out. 

“Go on,” she laughed.

“You can’t mock me for being childish when you’re rushing off to your common room to play with a kitten!”

“Yes I can.”

“Whatever, I need to go up to the Owlery wanna come with me? After class? You know together, to the Owlery?” I asked. Why was I nervous? We’d kissed several times and been on a proper date.

“Sounds great,” she drawled. “Going a loud place way out of my way which is covered in bird shit.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“It is a yes.”

Hooray. 

I got to my room and tucked myself up in my sheets. I felt tired and sad and just ruined by that Boggart. 

Focus on riding the Hippogriff that was fun right?

Have you had one of those nights where you think you haven’t slept but must have because there is no way you had been lying down with your eyes closed for seven or eight hours?

It was like that. Not fun. I was up and about around 5 in the morning when I couldn’t sleep anymore. I think I had the effects of the boggart had finally washed out of me. 

Though it did raise the question if a form of a lethifold did that to me what would a real one do? I would probably avoid the tropics if they lived there. I’ll have a nice holiday in Iceland. 

The castle was strange at this time of the morning. Now one was around. At all. I walked to the main staircase by the great door I hadn’t seen another soul. Not even a ghost. 

I pulled the giant door open and wandered out into the courtyard. It was rather calming after a restless night, seeing the light blue sky as the sun, barely rising, mixed with the darkness.

Why hadn’t I done this before? I walked down to the grounds and over the sloping hills and gardens. Hagrid was awake outside of his hut, I could see the mountain of a man from where I was.

I wandered down to see him. Why not? He was the only professor I called by the first name, though he called his students by the first name. 

“Morning,” I called to him over the grounds.

He looked up and held a hand over his brow to shield his vision; I wasn’t that small!

“Oh Laura, good to see you, have you come to see Stormscream again?”

I hadn’t but… 

“Yeah I guess, I couldn’t sleep.”

“Excited were yer? I wish I could ride ‘em but I’d break their backs.”

“No, it wasn’t that we were doing Boggarts in Defence and it really shook me.”

“Harry was the same you know, riding hippogriffs and suffering with his boggart.”

“Right,” I had nothing to really say to that.

Almost said that I didn’t wear glasses but who cares? 

“Come on then,” he waved me to follow as he threw a chain necklace of dead ferrets over his shoulder.

Was there a shop where you could get those? I hadn’t seen that particular offer; a necklace of dead animals. Though I hadn’t looked for that particular item. 

So my feet moved without really registering what was happening. I swear I had just wanted a nice walk in the dawn air and dew droplet grass. 

We entered the clearing and Hagrid chucked one of the ferrets down and within seconds Stormscream stalked its way into the clearing and snapped it up.

He paced over to us and looked at me, down at me, then shook his mane. 

I held my hand out to touch his feathers, they were warm, a stark contrast to the cold air. He nuzzled my hand and stroked his razor sharp beak over my forearm. 

“Fast friends,” Hagrid confirmed. 

Maybe I had subconsciously come down here on purpose. This was rather pleasant. 

Stormscream’s deep yellow eyes were piercing me, but I couldn’t look away. Were we having a moment? Like a bonding moment. Probably not if I was thinking about whether it was or not. 

He shook his large, proud head under my hand again and made a rumbling noise in his throat. 

That seemed to be a cue for more ferret food. 

So not a bad little morning. I promised Hagrid I would visit now and again. I wasn’t convinced about potentially riding the hippogriff again, but it was nice enough. Plus I could bring Carmilla.

That would be nice. She liked animals. 

“Hey L did you fly a hippogriff yesterday?!” Laf asked at breakfast.

“Yup,” I nodded between mouthfuls of buttery toast. 

“What was that like?”

“It was like flying… On a hippogriff,” I strained on how to describe it. 

“Brilliant.”

“I’m surprised you rode it,” Danny said.

Things were still frosty between us. The arguments which happened before the half-term break had been swept under the rug but still malingered. 

“Why?” I sighed. 

“Doesn’t seem like a Hufflepuff thing to do… Is no one from Gryffindor in that class?”

“Yes there are.”

“Wait what does that mean?” Perry piped up. Hufflepuffs unite!

“It’s just rather brave, and you know… Laura,” Danny just motioned to me as if that was enough of an explanation. 

“Unbelievable,” I mumbled. 

“You’ve been more confrontational than normal Danny.”

“No I haven’t!” She spluttered in a very defensive voice.

“There’s an example right there.”

“Well I can’t defend myself and not be defensive,” she reasoned.

“I think its all this ministry auror business, it’s got you and your house all worked up,” Laf said. They were looking for a reaction. “Gryffindor fighting for good!” They laughed standing and putting a hand on one hip and the other held up definitely.

Perry and I both snorted at that.

“Well, in all fairness it was my house who fought Voldemort.”

“Ha! I knew it, I bet you all sit around the Gryffindor common room gossiping and fantasizing…”

“In their pajamas,” I added.

“Yeah, yeah in their pajamas,” Laf agreed nodding and laughing. “Imagining themselves forming some sort of army to defeat evil!”

“Well… Oh fuck off,” Danny huffed. 

“You do don’t you? That’s hilarious,” Laf continued. 

“Better than Slytherin joining up with evil.”

“Sure but we’re not talking about them.”

“Yeah,” I was perked up by this conversation, normally I was on the end of being teased. “We’re talking about your pajama and heroism parties.”

“You’ll see!” Danny snapped.

“What are you going to take a photo to show us?”

“Piss off,” she got up and stormed off. 

“Oh Danny come back,” Perry called after her. “They were only teasing you.”

“You know that’s what happens to me right?” I told them picking up another slice of toast.

“She’ll get over it. Now tell us about the Hippogriff.”

I told them about the Hippogriff. My new friend! As well as my owl. Maybe I was like the flying magical creature whisperer. As I had rode one once and bought the other last week. That makes sense.

In muggle studies we actually learned about phones and for the first time in the class Carmilla told our teacher that she had bought one. The muggle studies teacher literally hopped from foot to foot in excitement and asked a lot of ignorant questions.

Carmilla agreed to meet me in corridor outside the Great Hall after class today. Refusing to eat dinner with me but hey still off to the Owlery. 

Apparently I had been the only person in the school who been brave enough to ride the Hippogriff out of those who took Care of Magical Creatures…

I didn’t really bother to tell the truth that I had somewhat been picked up and plonked down on top of it and the next thing I knew I was fifty feet in the air. 

Still pretty cool of me! 

“You’re not cool you know,” Carmilla greeted me in the corridor. 

“Huh?”

“Sitting on an animal and having it fly you around isn’t cool.”

“It is a little.”

“Nope.”

“Well Salem was the name of a cat from a kids muggle tv show,” I stuck my tongue out.

“Oh dammit.”

“Haha!” 

I went into the great hall and grabbed a napkin and a sausage for Archimedes and went back out and looped my arm with Carmilla’s the second we were outside in the courtyard.

Certainly was becoming more comfortable with being affectionate with our… Thing. Which. We. Have. Yup!

“So how is Salem the teenager’s witch’s cat?” I asked.

“What?”

“How’s Salem?” I clarified.

“Oh good,” her voice became softer talking of him. “He sleeps on my bed so I’ve taken to resting around him.”

“That’s so sweet!”

“Its perfectly natural to be attached to a pet.”

“Have you tried to take him for a walk.”

“No… No that doesn’t seem like a good idea with a little kitten… I think he may have killed some second year boy’s rat in the common room at night… Which is good.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah. He brought me the tail.”

Well that was gross. Though animals did eat other animals, admittedly not other people’s pets.

I told her how I recovered from my Boggart attack and she finally was sympathetic and kind in reaction to that. It was nice to experience, she did care! 

The owlery was up a spiral staircase in a building, more of a tower, well I suppose a tower is a building still it was outside of school and quite a long trek to the top.

I was a little out of breath at the top and had to bend over to suck in mouthfuls of air. While doubled over Archimedes fluttered down and landed on my shoulder and hooted happily.

He jumped off my shoulder and did a 360 flip and landed again. I pulled the paper covered sausage from inside my robe and held it out to let him munch away with his little beak.

“He’s so cute!” I squealed hopping from foot to foot mimicking him though not on purpose.

“Not as cute as a cat,” Carmilla mumbled walking to the side of the Owlery to look over the edge at the amazing view.

Archimedes took the rest of the sausage and flew off to the rafters to eat it. He was struggling a bit with it, I guess he could only take letters and not packages… Didn’t think of that when I got him mostly for his cute little owl face.

I walked over to Carmilla and leaned my head on her shoulder. It was an amazing view, and easy to appreciate without having to worry about falling off a great flying mythical beast.

Her arm snaked around my waist and pulled me in tight so our sides were pressed together.

I felt her head turning against mine which was resting, still, on her shoulder, I raised and turned my head straight into her kissing me. Eeeeep.

My fist balled up in her robes, clenched as I tethered myself to her. The warmth of her lips contrasted with the cold breeze blowing over our faces.

Her mouth worked against mine, pressing and caressing making my heart flutter and my head go light.

Was swoon a word? If so it was appropriate now.

Her hands held my robe tight to my stomach her fingers digging in, not painfully, to my sides.

This was close to perfection. Well it was right up until Archimedes landed on my hair with his sausage covered, greasy talons. I sighed but Carmilla found it funny, moving back away from me and holding a hand over her mouth to cover her laugh. 

“Want to meet a hippogriff?” I asked after a moment of recomposing myself.

“I guess. Not now though.”

“Sure thing.” 

We linked hands after I slid a note onto Archimedes’ ankle for my father. It was just saying hello and instructions on how to send him back. 

Walking down the tower I was kind of excited at the prospect of maybe tandem riding a Hippogriff… Even if that was stupid it would be like a wizarding date.

Cinema date is muggle date and flying a hippogriff is a magic date. With the element of danger and possibly dying. Though popcorn is high fat I suppose that’s a risk in its own right.


	8. eig h         t

“Why did you get such a small owl?”

“Because I don’t need a big one to get letters to Kent and back,” I explained as Archimedes landed on the breakfast table Monday morning.

“You got him because he was cute,” Laf said determinedly. 

I grumbled that I didn’t as I unfurled the letter my dad had written.

Dear Laura,

I hope this works, I gave him some pork fat from my dinner.

Dad.

Well it was hardly poetry but I was proud of my father for actually writing a letter and sending it by owl. Progress! 

Archimedes hopped side to side and hooted happily melting my heart as he picked up some of the food from my plate. So yeah I did get him for a particular reason but screw it. 

He was certainly the smallest of all the other owls who had arrived at breakfast. It was a mandatory assembly succeeding breakfast but Carmilla was absent from the Slytherin table. 

Celebrity arrival! Well celebrity for the wizarding world. I suppose Quidditch players would be famous too but I did not care about that. Even a little.

A smidge. 

Everyone else’s owls had flown off to the Owlery but Archimedes was still standing on the edge of my plate, his claws attached to the metal rim, pecking at the food.

Laf reached over to give him a stroke and he hooted happily, turning his head all the way around to make a noise before spinning back round to continue picking at my breakfast.

Professor Sprout rushed off and told me off for not sending my owl away and that I should be respectful. At she didn’t make my friends all go back to their own house tables.

Not that I knew why Danny was sitting with us when she was just moping around and not speaking. 

The food disappeared in a flash as Archimedes hooted with dismay as the bit of sausage he had stolen vanished in his little beak as he flew up to the rafters after I kissed his fluffy, small head goodbye. 

The Headmistress took to the podium at the head of the hall and rapped it with her wand. The noise reaching the entirety of the room… As if by magic. 

“Ok ladies and gentlemen settle down, settle down please and be quiet and listen to our guest, this is important,” she said sternly. She was always stern but was extra stern on this particular morning.

A man in a black suit came out of one of those sides doors either side of the teacher’s table; which no one ever seemed to use. 

I guess they were needed for dramatic entrances. Good to know. 

Certainly seen his photograph before, though it being a wizarding picture it was obviously in black and white. 

“Good morning Hogwarts,” He addressed us all as a collective after casting a spell on his throat to louden his voice.

Was louden a word? Make louder.

“My name is Harry Potter and…”

He was interrupted by gasps. Was it that much of a surprise, a man with black hair and glasses who was an auror? I didn’t think so but I guess I was alone in that.

I looked over at the Gryffindor table and they were awe struck even Danny sitting next to me was captivated. I had to stifle a snicker thinking of all those Gryffindors imaging themselves as a hero themselves.

Tee-hee. Wait what?! Pay attention Laura. I constantly daydream. Seems like a silly thing to do when I can do actually magic, the thing most muggle kids dreamed about.

“Right please, now my name is Harry Potter and I’m head of the Auror’s department.”

He didn’t seem that pleased to address a huge audience, that was strange.

“When I was at school the Second Wizarding War started and ended, we were kept completely in the dark, even lied to and misled by the Ministry, I don’t want that mistake to be repeated.”

Wait did that mean there was a third wizarding war? I probably should just listen and find that out. 

“I’m not saying that we are in or even entering a third wizarding war,” he continued.

Oh phew.

“However there are certainly dark forces at work, purposeful and willful attacks on us as a community by a coordinated force.”

Oh not phew.

“There will be aurors posted here, I will return if there is any further news, any further development or any conclusion or… even escalation,” Harry Potter told us. 

He wasn’t as an impressive a figure as I would have thought a legend to be. He kind of looked like a geek… I scolded myself internally for being rude.

“Be vigilant, be aware and listen to the aurors posted at the school.”

Was that it? Ok. He stepped down from the podium and went off to talk and catch up with the teachers he knew. It was a little shocking to see the rather portly Professor Slughorn move fast to shake his hand and hug him.

That was a little underwhelming, though I didn’t know what I expected. Like a flashy professional wrestling entrance perhaps. With a disembodied voice announcing his weight and name and all that.

Oh well. I stood up, along with only the Slytherins who weren’t too impressed with the special guest either. I left the hall with that house while everyone else hung around.

I had no idea for what? What really were they hoping for? 

Harry Potter turning around and saying ‘oh you’re still here are you? Why don’t you come to the ministry and become aurors with me.’

I remember his kids were a bit arrogant and aloof but they had finished school when I was in the second year. Still a little intimidated by the massive, literally haunted, castle I was now living in.

Someone from behind me threw some wadded up paper at the back of my head as I walked towards to the dungeons for potions. Always the choice on whether to ignore it or get into a fight with the whole of Slytherin house.

Ignore and walk faster was the option I took. 

Oh how lucky they were I didn’t use my amazing duelling skills on them and choose to walk really fast instead. Ho ho ho they dodged a bullet there.

Is dodge a bullet an expression used in this world? Maybe dodge a killing curse? Huh, not quite as punchy. 

No one was in class. Why would there be? I knew the professor was dancing around in the great hall fawning over Harry Potter. Oh well. I pulled out my books and turned pages randomly. 

It was fifteen minutes after the fact when my classmates started filtering in slowly. Using the opportunity to miss out on quarter of an hour of learning. That was my suspicion. 

“Why did you run off L?” Laf asked slipping down into the seat next to me.

“No reason.”

“Right, Professor Sprout gave you the dirtiest look I’ve ever seen when you left.”

“Oh… Well she doesn’t like me that much anyway so… meh.”

“Meh?”

“Meh.”

“Right, well nothing happened, the teachers who knew him talked to him, we stared, Danny had an orgasm sitting there, Kirsch bounded over to him and tried to introduce himself like a giant puppy when I decided enough was enough.”

“I suspected as much.”

“That Danny would be sexually gratified by the sight of the most famous Auror? Divinations is paying off L!”

“No, that nothing would happen.”

Professor Slughorn arrived full of bluster and joy. He was so excited, bouncing around. 

“You know, Miss Hollis… Erm… Lafontaine, you know, that felix felicius?”

“Yes sir,” we said in unison.

“Well one of the few other students who received that potion from me was Mr Potter!”

“Wow,” Laf said.

“I know, amazing, you should be honored with the company you’re in. Anyway, we’re making strengthening solution! Take out your notes.”

Laf and I worked, well I did what I was told and soon we had a lovely turquoise potion; shimmering, shining in the cauldron and received 20 points a piece. I had a sneaky sip of it.

Something I would never ever do. Apart from this time. However as a smaller person, I was curious to see the effects it would have. 

“Did you drink some of that L?”

“Nope.”

“Are you going to deny it even though I saw you?”

“I sure am.”

“Enjoy stroking animals.”

“Enjoy… Why don’t you enjoy… Oh god dammit,” I cursed unable to think of a comeback. 

It may have been my imagination but I suspected that I was moving a little faster. I walked out of the castle down to Hagrid’s hut humming the spiderman theme. 

Spider Laura Spid… No that’s not a good idea.

Hagrid was equally as full of energy as Professor Slughorn. He was another teacher who had a special and long time connection with Harry Potter. 

For what was meant to be a safety talk it really had become more of an autograph signing session. Except without any signing of autographs… Ok so not the best analogy. 

“Good morning Laura.”

“Morning Hagrid, what’s it today?”

“I thought more with the Hippogriffs.”

“Hippogriffs?”

“Hippogriffs, yes I got a couple more to come down to demonstrate to the class.”

It didn’t seem as special, in all honesty I had liked I was the only one who had bonded with Stormscream and rode him. Not that I was hankering to get back on his back. Get back onto.

Ride around on him again.

Maybe English wouldn’t be the worst class which could make its way from the muggle school system. It was a good point. Our essays were marked on grammar and we hadn’t been taught how to improve that particular skill.

Wait what am I doing? 

Care of Magical Creatures. Hippogriffs… And all that jazz. Was there wizarding jazz? No stop that.

We were introduced to new creatures but I just walked over to Stormscream as he trotted over to meet me and rub his majestic head into my palm. Friends!

I was pretty happy with my animal chums. Plus unlike Carmilla’s new pet they hadn’t killed anything… That I knew of. 

Professor Longbottom who was best mates with Harry Potter was in an equally giddy mood when we had to face the boggart again to practice our defensive spells. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing a Lethifold again.

It made me feel so shit. So shit I decided to skip Divinations. I just couldn’t. Carmilla told me to go to the hospital wing. I just didn’t want to. What would they do? Give me chocolate.

I would like some chocolate…

Just not enough to go to the hospital wing.

“Accio chocolate,” I tried with my wand.

A bar whizzed behind me and struck me in the back of the shoulder. Ow. I turned round and picked it up. Right… I wonder where that came from?

I had a sneaky look around me and unwrapped the bar and had a bite. 

It helped. It was a nasty feeling to have all your happiness sucked out of you. Feels like an icey misery had been injected into you and then pulsed outwards, strengthening itself to every part of you.

Icky. 

I just sat on the steps on the grand staircase in the entrance hall to the castle. Rested my head in my hands and ran them back through my hair a couple times before holding the step.

It was awful. I hoped that was the last time we had to confront a Boggart. Shield charms and curses were all useful despite there being risks. Whereas this was just the worst.

It would be useful to know if they were frequently occurring monsters. If they barely existed then what was the point? 

Underneath my grip I tore off a bit of the stair I was gripping on to. Whoops. Was that the strengthening solution? Erm. I looked around for a place to hide it.

“What are you doing young lady?” 

I turned quickly to see Harry Potter standing above me. 

“Sitting down and nothing else,” I said hurriedly placing the broken step piece down. 

He looked at it and smiled taking out his wand and muttered something and the step repaired itself.

“Why aren’t you in class?”

“Feel shit.”

“Feel shit?”

“We were doing Boggarts and mine was…”

“Bad?”

“Pretty much.”

He sat down next to me and sighed.

“Yeah mine was the same, a bloody dementor. Sucked the happiness out of me.”

“Mine was similar. A Lethifold.”

“A Lethifold?! Wow, that’s rare, have you seen one? No obviously not, no one really has without dying.”

“Right,” I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t really want him bothering me. 

“It’s a bad feeling, a terrible one, yeah, is there anything you can do to cheer up?”

“I might go see Hagrid and Stormscream.”

“I was going to see Hagrid. I’ll come with you.”

“Right…” 

Didn’t really want to do that. At least not with him.

“I’m Harry by the way.”

“Yeah I know, I’m Laura.”

“Nice to meet you.”

It actually annoyed me that he introduced himself. The fact he knew I knew who he was but pretended to be modest. Though if he hadn’t I would have been annoyed by his arrogance.

I was just in a bad mood. I especially didn’t want some adult who was incredibly proud of himself swanning about the school and condescending me. 

He asked me the most annoying grown up person trying to still be in touch questions as we walked towards the hut I had been at only a couple of hours ago.

The sort of questions which were aimed at being polite but just came across as someone who didn’t know what level to direct their conversation at. What age. So just went for generalities which could be asked of an 11 year old to an 18 year old.

It kind of felt like I was intruding on some weird brotherly, fatherly thing between Hagrid and Harry as they hugged and talked about his children and some stuff I zoned out. 

Was it just the Boggart? Probably. I was in such a terrible mood. Why couldn’t my greatest fear be having not enough hugs from teddy bears? 

Though living teddy bears might be unsettling. Especially if they were all coming at me together, arms out stretched. What the hell am I thinking about? 

Before I knew what was happening we were all together in the clearing where the Hippogriffs were.

“Nothin’ better than a lovely beast to cheer you up eh Laura?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, that’s what I was thinking.”

It wasn’t.

“What class do you normally have now?”

“Divinations.”

Hagrid and Harry both snorted with derision. Ok. I didn’t particularly like it either but it did bother me when other people mocked it. 

“Is Trelawney still obsessed with all her students dying at every turn is she?” Harry asked.

“Yes.”

“Ha! Though she did help fight at the Battle of Hogwarts,” he said solemnly as he and Hagrid nodded quietly and respectful.

Oh what fun. What a joy he must be. ‘Do you want to have a drink?’ ‘We needed a drink after fighting the forces of darkness you know?’ ‘Oh did you, well try not to ruin the evening you miserable bastard.’

That would be how the conversation would go… I imagine. I do take divinations after all. So I’m somewhat of an expert. 

“This here ‘arry is Stormscream, remember bow and that.”

Stormscream bowed back to the auror but pushed past him, ignoring his outstretched hand to trot over to me and make the now familiar rumble in his throat as he stroked his head against my side.

I reached out and buried my hands in his feathered mane. Some of the lingering, miserable effects of the Lethifold. Or the Boggart. Whatever it was. The effects were relieved by running my hand over him.

His cold beak scraped lightly over my face. It was a nice gesture, I think if he did that when I first saw him I would have wet myself. That beak could have torn my skin off. I ran my hand back over his feathery head. 

“Could I bring a friend down to meet him?” I asked Hagrid. Remembering my offer to Carmilla.

“Of course,” he beamed, “of course you can. A friend?”

“Yeah that new girl in my year,” I told him not looking up, as I kept playing with Stormscream.

“The Slytherin?”

“Yeah.”

Some of his enthusiasm seemed to be lost. That house really had a bad reputation. Maybe it needed a rebranding. Some sort of third party PR company. 

I could float the idea to Professor Slughorn in potions next time. 

I left soon after, letting Harry and Hagrid catch up. Before I went I hugged the Hippogriff around his neck, I wasn’t able to get my hands together but it sure was comforting. 

The week progressed at a boringly slow rate. The excitement injected by the visit of a famous ex-student seemed to slow down everyone once he left. I forgotten we could go to Hogsmeade.

Normally it was planned in advance. I only asked Carmilla on the Friday and she made some snide comment before agreeing. It was a formula. 

‘Want to do this?’ ‘You’re small and blonde and giddy.’ ‘So yes?’ ‘Yes. Stupid.’ Like I said, I do divinations so I’m somewhat of a Clairvoyant. 

Jeans and a jumper was my chosen outfit on Saturday morning. If this was a first date then I would have made more of an effort. Well gone for my favourite quilt work patch dress.

It was getting colder and Scotland was even colder than Kent. Plus I didn’t feel the need to impress her as much. She had lost some of her edge and scary mystique after being befuddled by a smart phone and enamored by a little kitty cat.

The turnout wasn’t as large as my first trip to Hogsmeade. Maybe it was the fact that it hadn’t been announced on Monday morning… Or people just didn’t care.

How many butterbeers could you drink and how many times could you look at the Shrieking Shack and go ‘oh look, that exists… Still.’ 

I hadn’t spoken to my friends about it either… Perhaps I just wasn’t good at juggling stuff. 

Carmilla was sitting on one of the enclaves of the courtyard. 

“Do you own anything that isn’t black?” I asked plonking myself down next to her. 

“My tie.”

“That is hardly… You have to wear that.”

“The white shirts.”

“Same thing really.”

“So no. This feels a little bit shitty doesn’t it,” she pointed to the smaller crowd waiting to go to the Hogwart's express. 

“I thought you hated other people, surely if no one turned up you’d be happy?”

She just grumbled in response. 

“Apart from me right?” I asked teasing her and nudging her in the ribs through her leather jacket. 

Another grumble. That was a yes. Definitely. 

We got a train carriage to ourselves… Because no one was really on the train. So that isn’t a newsworthy thing to notice. She sat sideways on the bench seat and rested her legs over me.

“Make yourself comfortable.”

“I have,” she scowled at me like I had said something stupid. 

I started to relax into my seat resting my hands on her outstretched legs as our door opened and Laf and Perry came in and I jumped a little. I was awkward not sure what to do with myself.

Almost as if I had been caught doing something wrong. Hand in the cookie jar type face. 

“Hey guys!”

“Go away,” Carmilla said flatly.

“Whatchya going to do in town?”

“Go away,” Carmilla repeated.

“I need to stock up on potion ingredients and I burnt a hole in another cauldron.”

“Go away.”

“I need some books, Laf set fire to my Charms textbook,” Perry told us.

“Am I invisible?” Carmilla asked before sighing and resting her head back against the wall and closing her eyes.

“What about you L?”

“We were going to get some butterbeer, walk around, do some third thing,” I said slowly.

“Like a little date? Why not go to Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop?” Laf asked with a wink.

“Maybe I don’t know.”

“Are you going there?” Carmilla perked up.

“No.”

“Then sure why not.”

“Just trying to be friendly… You know might as well be,” Perry said in a quiet voice.

“Why?” Carmilla said not opening her eyes or looking at either of them.

“Well,” Laf took up the conversation, “we’re friends with Laura and you’re her girlfriend so…”

I spluttered with a cough of shock at that. Trying to clear my throat. That was a term never used or addressed or… Nope. Just nope. Not now. I was perfectly fine with the comfortability of ambiguity.

“Well whatever you are to L,” Laf corrected. “So you know… Unity and that.”

Neither of us replied. I was awkward and silent, glancing over at her, Carmilla was still lying back with her eyes closed. I tapped my fingers nervously against her legs still on my lap. 

I just coughed in a way to suggest we move on from that particular avenue. 

That was possibly the worst train journey of my life… Though to be fair, how many bad journeys had I taken by train? There was that one time I was on the London Underground and needed to pee but couldn’t for ages.

It was worse than that. Just sitting in painful silence broken up by attempts to spark conversation which were shut down by Carmilla. 

“You could try to be little friendly,” I said tentatively as Laf and Perry walked off on their way as I shot them a sympathetic waist high wave. 

“I could,” she agreed with a smirk.

“Don’t be like that,” I laughed, my mood picking up now it was just the two of us again. I bumped into her lightly with my shoulder knocking her a bit.

“It was funny,” she told me bumping me back.

“Well be nice now.”

“I’m always nice to you,” she said determinedly, taking my hand and linking our fingers.

“That’s bloody rich.”

“Do you actually want to go to that teashop?”

“I don’t mind, it is for couples though.”

“What are we then?” She asked.

Oh not her too.

“Are we?”

“I don’t tend to kiss my friends.”

“You don’t have any friends.”

“But if I did I wouldn’t make out with them or hold hands with them,” she told me holding up our joined hands. 

“So…” I was struggling for words.

“Tea?”

“Sure,” I laughed leaning my head on her shoulder. She shrugged me off playfully so I leaned up to kiss her on the cheek. 

Despite their being fewer people on this particular Hogsmeade trip the teashop was still pretty busy. 

Was this me, here, declaring to the girls and boys and one boy and boy that I was here with a girl? Or that I liked tea? Tea is nice. Though available at other outlets which didn’t have such a reputation for coupley stuff.

“Table for 2 dears?” A nice older woman approached us. I presume she was Madam Puddifoot.

I smiled and nodded and followed her to a small table having to walk with Carmilla through other people I knew from my year and above. Well that happened. Each table was separate from the others. Creating the vibe of intimacy. 

“Take a look at the menu and I’ll be back soon.”

“Thank you,” I said, my voice was a little ragged. Why was I nervous? I wasn’t ashamed or anything. Just… Eeep. 

“How can there be a menu in a tea shop?” 

“There are cakes,” I offered up scanning the menu. 

“I like to watch my diet.”

“You…” I spluttered, “you willingly steal my cookies!”

“I heard some little girl had her chocolate bar stolen in the halls this week when I was walking past.”

“Well… I have no idea who… no idea, anything about that,” I said hesitantly. I knew that chocolate bar came from somewhere. 

“Not saying you do just that others thieve confectionary.”

“Unbelievable. Now what tea do you want?”

“Is there a special?”

“Yes.”

“That.”

“Do you want…”

“No. Get that.”

“Fine.”

“You’re so easy to wind it up it’s hilarious. All flustered,” she smirked at me placing her elbows on the table and resting her chin in the cradle of her hands. 

It made my heart flutter and my stomach twist in knots as she blow upwards to move her fringe from her eyes. 

“Pretty,” I mumbled.

“What’s that?” She asked her smirk widening.

“Pretty good in here.”

“Right,” her teeth showing as the smirk grew into a smile as she flicked her head to the side to move her fringe again as it fell into its original place.

Don’t reach out and touch her, don’t touch people Laura! The kindly old lady, came back and I ordered for us; the special platter which included a pot of tea and an assortment of cakes.

It made me cringe and go a little red with embarrassment as I hadn’t realised until I read it that it was called ‘the lover’s choice,’ Carmilla, like a shark sensing blood, used the chance to rub her foot up and down the inside of my calf. 

“Thanks,” I practically squeaked.

“Something up?”

“Nope,” I squeaked again, maybe even more high pitched than before as she kicked off her shoes and used both to run up and back down my legs. 

“Oh for fuck sake,” she grumbled retracting her feet as she looked over my shoulder. I turned to see what she was swearing at. Oh. 

Danny and Kirsch? That was… Not unexpected just… Huh.

Kirsch saw me and waved like a madman in his overly energetic manner causing Danny to look up and over at us and scowl and grab Kirsch’s arm and lead him off to the other side of the cafe. Restaurant… Erm. Teashop. 

That’s the one.

“You know we can use magic here right?” Carmilla told me after a moment’s silence.

“So?”

“I could curse them both.”

“Hmmm,” I stroked my chin, “no,” I said with mock sincerity, “on reflection it is probably not the best idea to commit assault in a tea hop.”

“A tea hop?”

“Shop,” I corrected quickly.

“You know you mess up and look stupid whenever you try to be condescending?”

“Perhaps you could give me some pointers?” I asked with a smile which she returned. Her eyes flickering with laughter, the dark pools dancing as I momentarily lost myself in them.

“It isn’t something you can teach,” she said being cocky, her smile becoming lopsided as she tilted her head in the cradle of her hands. “It’s just effortless.”

“Like how I’m effortlessly... Oh shit,” I trailed off.

“Cute?” She offered up.

“That’s the one,” I beamed at her. I went to put my head in my hands to mirror her but clipped the edge of the table, missing what I had meant to do and had to catch myself mid fall. “Careful.”

Carmilla erupted in laughter, clasping a hand to her mouth to hold it in. She was still chuckling away when the food and drink levitated its way onto our table.

Oh wow. These were amazing cakes. I think I’ll tell Carmilla.

“These cak…”

I stopped as she had a hand out held and half of the cake I had been enjoying was floating out of my grip into hers. Of course it was. 

“Are nice I know.”

“Really?”

“I practiced non-verbal spells for that.”

“For pastry based theft?” I asked picking up another bite holding it tightly to guard it and glancing up at her warily as I bit into it.

“Other sorts of theft too,” she said nonplussed as if it was nothing. 

It was pleasant, I did enjoy her teasing to an extent, it was good natured and had that hint of a smile behind it and had never been mean to me. To plenty of other people; sure, but not me! And that is what counts in life.

Finding someone who hurts your friends and schoolmates but not you. I giggled to myself and she sighed like I was crazy. 

“What?”

“Nothing…” I tittered.

“What are you laughing at?”

“You hate the idea of something going on without knowing about it don’t you?”

“Just tell me.”

“I was…” I stopped and went a little pink. “Thinking I… Erm. Like you.” I looked up at her smirking face and down again then back up shooting her a nervous smile. 

“Obviously, it’s hard not to,” she drawled.

“I’m being sweet!” I whined kicking her lightly under the table. She reached over the food and teapot to take my hands and clasp them together with her’s on top.

“You’re fine. Passable for this school.”

“I… I know that’s the best I’ll get out of you,” I smiled wider. Her genuine grin gave her true feelings away. “Quick insult me so you feel comfortable again.”

“I’m not… No,” she mumbled sheepishly. It was the first time I’d seen her like that.

“I win! For once.”

“By ruining our sweet coupley moment?” She asked sincerely her eyes emoting pain. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to, this is sweet, and I’m enjoying myself,” I reassured her quickly shifting my hands around her grasp to hold and reassuringly squeeze them. 

“Ha! Now I’m winning again.”

“Oh goddammit,” I laughed. 

We argued over who would pay. I suppose the negative of us both being girls we can’t revert to typical gender roles and I would let her pay. I forgot about all that when we left together hand in hand, which I thought was brave. For me. 

A lot of heads turned and whispers exchanged at us. Did the two guys clearly out with each other get those looks?! Or was it just as it was new and fresh gossip. 

“Going to be talked about Monday,” I sighed as the door closed and the bell rang signalling our exit. 

“So?”

“Well… You know… If… No I suppose not,” I hummed with approval as I raced over in my head whether I actually cared. I didn’t. It would have to come out eventually anyway. Wouldn’t it? 

Especially if we wanted to go to Christmas Ball together! I hadn’t even thought about that. 

“So?”

“Huh?”

“What do you want to do in this shitty little town?” She asked.

“Does technology work here? I think it does… We could watch a film on a phone?” I suggested joking. 

“I don’t have mine.”

“Same but I wasn’t serious,” I frowned at her.

“No… No, neither was I,” she returned unconvincingly. “As much as it truly pains me, deep down, to admit this I wouldn’t mind going to a ‘cinema’ again.”

“Over Christmas break?”

“If you don’t annoy me too much between now and then.”

“If I do I’ll just show you cat videos.”

She just looked over at me with a blank face.

“People upload..”

Another blank stare.

“People… Erm, put videos of their cats being cute on the internet.”

“Right,” she just nodded seriously. I could tell she was hiding excitement at that bubbling over inside her. I bet if I could get hold of her phone over Christmas it would be full of YouTube clips of cats. 

We weren’t walking anywhere in particular, it was just nice, holding hands, hearing the crunch of the frozen ground under foot.

“Want to go see Stormscream with me tomorrow?” I asked her. She had said yes but it hadn’t been really considered, or confirmed. 

“Who?”

“The hippogriff!”

“Oh right, yeah, I’ll go see this thing.”

“Don’t call him a thing! No seriously they apparently attack you if you offend them.”

“Oh what fun.”

“A bit like you.”

She laughed warmly at that. 

“Yes, I’ll go see this lovely beast.”

“Great, Hagrid doesn’t like Slytherin’s that much but… I’m sure he’ll like you,” I said hopefully.

“I’m sure. My winning charm?”

“That too.”

We took a long route around the small village, frittering away time until it was time to get a train back. I saw Laf and Perry arguing over something carrying a big cauldron but I steered us away from them. 

Nearing the time we were meant to depart there was a horrendous crack, or a bang something like that. If I didn’t know better I would have thought it were an explosion like a bomb. 

I jumped out of my skin in shock, Carmilla seemed unphased just looking over to the source of the noise.

“What was that?” I asked recovering myself.

“Why would I have any more information than you?”

“Because…”

“Let’s go look.”

“No, let’s not. Let’s not rush to the explosion.”

“Why?”

“Because!”

“...”

“Because,” I repeated for the third time, as if that was enough. “We’re on terror alert and you want to go towards the danger.”

“Potential danger.”

“Poten… Well whatever let’s not do that.”

“Nah, let’s,” she decided retaking my hand and tugging at it to force me, reluctantly, into action.

Well this was happening. It was like riding the Hippogriff. It was just happening and I was moving without really participating willingly. Though this time I was unlikely to make friends with the explosion like I had with Stormscream. 

There was a greeny blue veil over the village of Hogsmeade. We joined a growing circle of students and locals surrounding the source of the colouration. 

There was a trail of what looked like magical smoke from a fire rising into the veil. Everyone was in silence. Carmilla, still holding my hand, dragged me to the front. Oh no.

Oh no.

No. No. No.

There were people lying motionless in the rubble of the burnout shop front. It was the remains of the joke shop. The Weasley shop which was the twin to the one in Diagon Alley. 

My heart froze, we had gone in there and looked around the first time we had come to Hogsmeade.

Where were the Aurors?! If we got here and all these other spectators had too why hadn’t the Aurors arrived?! Unless… I doubled checked the bodies. The bodies. Ewww. 

Were they? No. They couldn’t be the aurors?!

I tried to speak but I couldn’t hear my words. I turned to see other people trying and no words coming out either. Actually I hadn’t heard a sound in a while.

There was a crack, breaking the silence and two people in dark robes of the Auror offices appeared in our midst. They waved around their wands and there was a rushing of air as noise returned. The wind, the ruffling of clothing and coughs came first.

“Keep back, please keep back,” one of the aurors called at the amassed crowd. While she spoke to us her companion was muttering some sort of enchantment at the magical fire in the shop.

It went out and she crossed into the ruins and disappeared from sight. There were two more cracks and two more aurors showed up and then another two.

They inspected the bodies and ushered those of us gathered to move back. 

“This is a lot more boring than I thought it would be,” Carmilla murmured to me.

“What were you expecting?” I asked looking over at her.

“Duels?”

“I think that may have been the bang we heard.”

“Obviously. Should we get the train then?”

“What?”

“The train. Should we get it?”

“Well…” 

I suppose we should head back… But it did feel wrong just to walk away from what had happened without trying to secure some more information. Medic wizards and witches had started apparating and checking on the wounded. 

As I turned to leave with Carmilla they were bringing people out of the desolation. I tugged at her arm to stop her. There was a woman who I didn’t recognize. Finally a couple of alive people were brought out, coughing and wheezing and needing the aid of the medics and aurors. They were covered in soot and blood.

The people taller than me… Well everyone else pushed forward straining to look and I had my view obscured. Someone I couldn’t see cried out and I heard muffled cries and shouts and orders to ‘keep back.’

Someone elbowed me in the top of my head as they pressed forward and I stumbled back and pushed myself out of the crowd. It wasn’t worth physical injury to spectate.

“You alright cutie?” Carmilla jogged over to me as I kept walking slowly away from the scene.

“Yeah, I just got hit in the noggin!” I moaned rubbing the sore spot.

“Noggin?”

“Don’t pick me up on word choice now!”

“Fair enough, that tall guy, the one with the redhead he was one of the people pulled from the building.”

“What?!” I almost screamed my attention diverting straight back to the gathered crowd.

“Yeah, he was ok, just bleeding a bit.”

“Bleeding a bit?!”

“Yeah, that person rushing and crying like a lunatic was the other tall one.”

“Danny? She was hurt?”

“No. No. No. She saw him and rushed over, it’ll be fine.”

“Should I go back and check?” I asked. Not really sure how to cope with this situation.

“You wouldn’t be able, one of the aurors forced giant girl back, I think they were casting a preventive line spell when I noticed you left.”

“Got assaulted.”

“Well, I wouldn’t recommend getting revenge now when half the ministry is there.”

“I wasn’t suggesting… I take your point.”

“Train?”

I agreed and walked away to the platform for the Hogwart’s express checking over my shoulder periodically. It felt wrong to walk away, but logically, what could be done? Nothing. My presence was not needed and I would probably only upset myself further looking at the horror.

There were a few students by the train platform as we got there.

“What happened?!” Someone asked us, frantic.

“Fireworks,” Carmilla said sarcastically going to take one of the many few seats as everyone was huddled together.

“Hollis?”

“I don’t know,” I waved them off. I couldn’t be bothered. Plus what had happened? I had no details.

“Some fuckin’ use you two are.”

“Fuck off,” Carmilla spat back.

The boy she insulted back got up and marched over to her.

“Come near me and I’ll curse you.”

He stopped and as I made my way past him saw his hand hovering by his pocket as if considering whether to reach for his wand. 

“There are aurors everywhere and you’re going to duel at the school’s train? I thought Ravenclaws were meant to be intelligent,” I sneered at him. Tired by what had happened. I couldn’t be bothered with his male bravado. 

He muttered something before turning on his heel and leaving us alone. 

Everyone left us alone. More and more students dribbled into the small station. It took ages. It was over an hour after our agreed departure time when finally a teacher arrived and we boarded and set off.

“I didn’t see Kirsch…”

“He’s probably getting medical attention,” Carmilla said disinterestedly as she busied herself with pulling the blinds up and down.

“I suppose so…”

“Kind of ruined our date.”

“We can ride a hippogriff tomorrow!” I perked up, not wanting her to think that.

“I thought you said visit it… No, I mean him.”

“I did… But hey riding it might be fun.”

“It might be splatty.”

“Splatty goodness.”

“And you’re back to your normal self,” she laughed leaving the blinds alone. 

“We need to do something now we’ll never ever be allowed back to Hogsmeade.”

She got up off her seat and sat down next to me holding her arm up and open for me to lie in. I kicked my feet up onto the seat and tucked them in so I cuddle up into her body.


End file.
